With the Dark
by ExtraSavoirFaire
Summary: A warrior corrupted by the Abyss finds himself in a new world, his fate tied to a little girl. A telling of the fifth holy grail war, but some of the servants are characters from the Souls/Borne series. This story focuses on Illya and her servant Artorias, summoned as the Berserker, as they fight in the grail war.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness. That was all he knew. All he remembered. A complete, all encompassing Darkness. All he saw, all he thought, his entire existence devoured by Darkness. He did not want to live in Darkness, but to him, everything was Darkness. With his eyes he saw nothing but Dark. When he breathed, every breath was filled with Dark. When he moved, he moved within Dark. When he killed, his combat echoed and resounded with the Dark. It is all he knows. Yet, some part of him, some carnal, primal part of his being, said not everything is Dark. That there exists something beyond the Darkness. It wishes to escape the Dark. To not be consumed by Dark. It hopes that it will be freed from Darkness. He ignores it. He thinks he is fooling himself. He would if he could think beyond Darkness. He knows only Darkness, and hope cannot exist in Darkness. At some point, he thought that he died. He does not know if this is true. After being in Darkness for so long, he might as well be dead. He does not know how long he has been in Darkness. It wishes to come out of Darkness. He ignores it again. This will never happen.

The summoning circle is complete, all preparations have been made. Illya allows a smirk to grace her face, not because she is in a joyful mood, but because of what she will accomplish. She is sure of her victory. Not just in the Grail War, but her victory against Kiritsugu Emiya, the man who had betrayed her. With a deep breath, she begins her can hear the howling of wolves. She doesn't let that stop her. Not when she is almost done. The summoning circle crackles, magic violently thrashing about as a being is pulled from another plane of existence. She is summoning Berserker, a perfect choice for her. One that will be fueled by her hatred for the world and those that wronged her. With the power of Berserker, she will take revenge. She hears the howling again, closer this time. With a final violent thrash, the magic coalesces, bringing about a solid form. Before her stands, slightly hunched over, a man clad in dark grey armor with a tattered, faded blue cloak. Shadows appeared to dance around him, seemingly one with his form. His helmet, adorned with whip-like tassels concealed his face, revealing nothing but darkness. In his right hand, he wielded a greatsword, yet one side seemed to be extensively corroded. Illya glared at the creature. The howling resounds once more.

It was sudden. He was pulled. He knew not from where or how, but, even in the Dark, he noticed a change in location. Not that it mattered to him. And yet, the part of himself that he thought forever quelled, felt something he had long forgotten. It was yearning. Yearning for something outside the Dark. More intense than he had ever known. It made him question why. For what reason, in this infinite Darkness, could he yearn for anything? What is there to yearn for? His existence is naught but Dark. That is when he saw. For what had felt like an eternity for him, he saw something that was not Dark. It was bright, warm, gleaming with a resplendence he had long forgotten. It stirred within him the same feelings as when he gazed upon his King's gross incandescence. However the image before him was no king, but a little girl. Her gaze was stern and unyielding, red eyes highlighted by her fair skin. Somehow, he was reminded of his passion for someone he knew in his past. He was perplexed. He wondered if this was an illusion, his mind playing tricks on him. He felt this was not the case as his mind had been lost to the Dark long ago. That's when he heard the howls. From his flank, the girl was pounced upon by a pack of wolves, voraciously snarling and biting. He looked at them. They reminded him of his faithful companion. But, he knew, his companion was no more. He hated this. With a swing of his sword, the wolves were cleaved, leaving the girl relatively unharmed. She stood again.

"...This is not what I expected Berserker to be," She said. He did not understand. " I was expecting Heracles, but perhaps I summoned you because you resonate more strongly with my aims." He looked around, but saw the land blanketed by white. "I am Illyasviel von Einzbern." He looked at her. That name was not familiar. "Do you have a name?" She asked. A name, he wondered. His mind felt clouded, the Dark still having a firm hold on him. Yet, looking at the girl before him, his thoughts felt clearer, as if by some force she was pushing away the Dark that had encased him for so long. Most of his memories were unclear. The first things that appeared in his mind were the visages of his King, his faithful companion, and his lover. But what was he called? Silence passed between them. Yet, the longer he looked at her, the less of the Dark he felt. It was intoxicating to him. To look at and hear things that were not the Darkness made him want to never leave this girl's side. And then he remembered. How he came to exist only in Dark, and why he ventured toward the Darkness in the first place.

"So," She said, but he had yet to respond. "Your name is Artorias."

* * *

This is probably the 5th or 6th worst idea I've ever had. Please excuse the pacing and wording, this was sort of a style experiment for me. The rest of the story will be more coherent than this.


	2. Chapter 2

They walked through that barren plane, nothing around them but white and dead trees. He was pleased. It was not Darkness. Being able to see a whole world before him was thrilling. He was content even with this landscape. She started to talk to him. She told him of her past, how her father killed her mother and abandoned them, as well as denying the reason for their existence. He could not relate. He does not remember a family or if he ever had one. She explained further. She recounted to him the role and legacy of the Einzberns. She told the story of the grail war and how he will fight for her. She explained the role of servant and master in intricate detail. There would be several other servants, each summoned under a different class, each with their own master. They would fight each other, hoping to claim the power of the grail. He found it humorous, how there were so many rules for what was described as a 'war'. But he was accustomed to battle; it was something he understood. Yet, he was hesitant to let harm come to this girl, his master. As she had mentioned, due to the power of the servants, a common strategy was to eliminate the master. In this battle, a servant cannot exist long without a master, and this would effectively destroy two adversaries at once.

"You needn't trouble yourself to worry about me," she said. "I am quite capable myself." He was unsure of this statement. Yet, if what she said was true, then it was by her power that he was bound in this world. Away from the Dark. He decided to believe her. But he swore to keep her safe. It is because of her that he is no longer in Darkness, and he would ensure that things will be kept that way.

"Why not tell me about yourself?" she asked. He supposed it was a natural question, as she had spent some time talking about herself. He would like to answer her, but his ability to do that had been lost long ago. And even if he could, what would he say? His memories were eaten by Darkness, and only a scant few had returned to him. She frowned. "You can't tell me anything." He nodded. "I know there was no problem with my summoning, so your memories must have been gone before then." He nodded once more. He would prefer if she did not learn of the Dark. She looked at him, a wry smile gracing her face. "Well it doesn't matter right now. As the Berserker you are the strongest servant anyway. We have time before the war starts, so I'm sure your memories will return. But before anything else…" They stopped walking and she turned to face him him. "Pledge your fealty to me as my servant." He was amused at his situation: being told to pledge himself to a little girl was not something he would have ever expected to happen. If he could, he would laugh. Taking a step back, he plunged his sword into the ground and kneeled before her. If this is what it would take to stay in this world, out of the Darkness, then he would follow her. He would make it his sworn mission to keep his master appeased.

She smiled again. "The pact is sealed. Now with that out of the way, let's see exactly what you can do." He followed her to a castle, where she said she lived. Upon their entrance, they were greeted by an old fellow, dressed in a white robe. Immediately, Artorias went on guard. Something about this one made him wary: perhaps it was his demeanor, or how he stalked through the hall towards them. Some aspect of the being in front of him enkindled a feeling of disgust as well as caution.

"It appears your summoning was successful, Illyasviel," he said.

"Naturally."

"But… this is not what I expected of Heracles' appearance."

"That's because he isn't. His name is Artorias."

"...This must be due to the relic we procured for the summoning. Ostensibly it held traces of magic that we could not identify. This must mean that your servant is more powerful than we had previously estimated."

"Is that so?" Illya smirked.

"You will win this war, Illyasviel." Without another word, he left.

"Don't worry about him," she said, taking note of his unease. "You won't be seeing much of him. Now come along," she said mischievously, walking further into her domain. "We have work to do." Nodding, he followed her into the deeper recesses of the castle. As he went, his mind wandered to the unease he just felt. It was as if the man's soul was deteriorated in some way. The man held none of the drive or passion his master had, almost as if he was focused on a single aspect which consumed all of his thoughts. That is when Artorias realized: the man was eerily similar to the cursed Undead. But that was unimportant at the moment. If that man became a problem, he would deal with it then. Right now, he was to attend to his master.

Illya led him into a wide, open room at the base of the castle. She wanted a gauge on his power, she had mentioned. He was to fight a number of her servants. With little warning, twelve of her servants, each wielding a different weapon, attacked him. He shook his head. If this was supposed to be a test of his strength, it would not measure him accurately. With two swings of his sword, the lot of them fell. "Hmm…" Illya hummed. "Yes, I think this will work very nicely," she said. With a gesture, she dismissed her servants. "Artorias, I can tell we are going to work very well together." Artorias hoped this would prove true.

Over the next few days, Illya tested more of Artorias' strength, which seemed to be limitless. Furthermore, what he displayed to her didn't seem to be even a fraction of his true power, as Illya could not detect a difference in the mana he would use from her. Although, there was also a drawback to this. Because Artorias was not being pushed to any limit, Illya was unable to see what he could truly accomplish. He could not talk, and she was only able to ascertain certain words and feelings from Artorias. Worse yet, she did not know the legend of Artorias, nor was she able to procure any such information on him, and she refused to use a command seal to force his memories to return. That would be wasteful. Regardless, Illya was quite confident in her Berserker. She made a point to spend time with him, even when she wasn't actively trying to uncover his mysteries. They would walk the area around her castle frequently, taking note of the sereneness of nature. Illya could tell that Artorias enjoyed these walks, he seemed so fascinated by everything he saw. She would talk to him about the happy times she had with her parents, before everything was ruined for her. She would tell of how her family fought in the previous grail wars, and how they plan to succeed after so many failures. But, most interestingly, she talked about the history of the world. She attempted to find if speaking of these matters would spur his memory and allow her to determine what time period he hailed from. She was aware that he was a knight in service to a king, based on what she could tell from the few memories he recovered. Yet, Artorias appeared to know absolutely nothing of the world, reacting with confusion and fascination at learning of the many wars and kingdoms that were fought throughout history. Days had turned to weeks and weeks to months. Before long, the Fifth Holy Grail War was to officially start.

* * *

You'll never guess who's going to fulfill the other servant roles. Or maybe you will because apparently I'm as predictable as a hot day in the summer. Place ya bets!

And someone please explain to me what kind of name is Jubastacheit.


	3. Chapter 3

"Why!?" She exclaimed. "What could have gone wrong!?" Rin Tohsaka was baffled as to why her living room was now in shambles and why this guy was nonchalantly leaning against the wall.

"Well now…" the man said. "Seems like I'm in a spot of trouble." Rin ignored the man for the moment.

"Everything should have gone off perfectly! The circle was perfect, I performed the incantation right, my mana is at it's peak… Damn it, all the clocks were off by an hour!" She sighed. "How could I forget something so simple?" Deciding not to dwell on this any longer, she turned to the man. He wore a set of clothes made out of black leather, complimented by a long coat and top hat made of the same material. His eyes were obscured, but she could see that he had a wide grin on his face. "And what are you laughing at?" she questioned, trying very hard to hide her embarrassment.

"Pretty much my whole situation, really. It's not my first time being forcibly pulled somewhere against my will. Seems to be a common theme with me lately." Rin glared at the man. "Last I remember, I was getting a sword run through my chest, and not a moment later, I tumble into this room. And in addition to that, as soon as I get my bearings, a history lesson on masters, servants, and a war over a cup forces its way into my brain. I can tell you, that does not feel pleasant." Rin shot him an incredulous look.

"But that aside, I suppose that makes you my master then, doesn't it?"

"Looks that way," Rin replied, crossing her arms. "You wouldn't happen to be the Saber class, would you?"

"Afraid not," he replied, the grin on his face unwavering. "I was brought here under the Archer class."

"Just my luck," Rin sighed.

"Not what you were going for, I take it?"

"No, but I guess you'll have to do."

"Then I guess I will." With a flick of his wrist, he procured a rose and offered it to his master. "The lady may refer to me as Chester. Marvellous Chester, at your service."

"Rin Tohsaka," she replied, taking the flower offered to her. She looked again at the destruction she had once called her living room and sighed. "Come with me. We'll talk elsewhere." She led Chester to her parlor, decorated with classy furniture that entertained a view of the clear night from the large window.

"Wonderful night we're having, with the full moon and all." Chester said, enjoying a cup of tea Rin had offered.

"I can't say I've heard of any legends surrounding someone named 'Marvellous Chester'," Rin said, taking a sip from her own cup of tea.

"I can't say I'm surprised. No one really spins tales of one's exploits unless they are exceedingly heroic or monstrous enough to strike fear into the hearts of children. Guess I'm not that memorable of a guy," he chuckled. Rin frowned.

"That's not funny."

"Most things aren't."

"So what's your story, then?"

"My story? Hmm… My life isn't very interesting."

"Based on your get up you look like some kind of Robin Hood. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, that sort of thing."

"No, I've never done anything that romantic," Chester chortled. "The most interesting thing I've ever done is take a walk in the woods."

"And what else?"

"Nothing, really. I usually just people watch."

"I doubt you're really that simple. You've obviously done more than that, otherwise you wouldn't have been summoned in the first place!"

"I'm quite surprised at that myself. I can think of a few of my contemporaries who would be much better suited for this than myself. But alas, here I am, thrust into a new world against my will, hahaha!"

"That's not something to be happy about."

"I must disagree. This whole is simply a cosmic joke. Just like my life."

"This isn't a joke! This is serious!"

"I assure you, my Master, I am quite serious. Yet, seeing as how we are in this together, I swear that I will do all that I can for you to the best of my ability. It certainly wouldn't be gentlemanly of me to tarnish your great name by giving a subpar performance." Rin gave a hard look at Chester, grin ever plastered on his face.

"... I can't tell if you mean that or not!"

"Trust me, I mean it. At the very least, it'll make a good distraction for a while, hehehe!" Rin sighed and laid a hand to her temple.

"It's late and I cannot deal with someone like you right now. Go clean up my living room. I'm going to bed."

"Of course, Master Rin. It is the least I can do for you. I shall not let you down and will do all in my power to stay in your good graces." He punctuated his remark with an ostentatious bow, to which Rin gave an exasperated sigh.

"Just don't make too much noise." Before Chester could do or say anything else, Rin retired to her bedroom.

In contrast to the previous night's events, the next day for Rin was decidedly uneventful. After seeing that Chester had accomplished the task she delegated to him, she decided that she would show him around Fuyuki City. To anyone watching, it would have seemed like a young woman was enjoying a nice day off, wandering about between different stores and cafés. Yet, Rin had a purpose to her seemingly aimless wandering. Getting Chester familiarized with the layout of the city would give them an advantage, especially if other Masters did not have the foresight to do the same. Knowing the streets of the city first hand would be a great asset, especially for the Archer class. After the sun had set, Rin brought Chester to a scenic location so they could view the city in its entirety.

"You certainly seemed to be enjoying yourself today," Chester said, taking in the panoramic sight.

"I might as well have. This wasn't about me, it was about you learning the ins and outs of the city. For the duration of this war, this will be our battlefield. We'll have to be careful, and knowing what the city is like beforehand will definitely prove beneficial."

"Well a romp about town is good every now and again. But that reminds me, I don't think you ever told me what you want with the grail."

"What I want with it, huh?"

"I mean, it supposedly has the power to grant any wish. Surely you have something in mind?"

"No, not really," Rin giggled. "I'm only in this war to win."

"Oh?"

"There's nothing I want in particular. I mean, sure I could wish to rule the world or something, but that would be too much of a hassle. I just want to win the grail because I can. Any wish would be extra."

"I see... Ha ha ha! Yes, I see!" Chester burst into a fit of laughter and applauded his Master. "Yes, that is a good a reason as any. This will definitely be interesting! We will have a grand time, my Master!"

"Yeah, well don't forget that this is serious business," Rin chided. "We must be vigilant, as others are probably much more serious about getting that wish, and will be looking to fight as soon as they can to gauge each other's strength. But, for now, let's go home."

* * *

Bet you didn't see this one coming!

Also I don't know how to express laughter in written form, please bear with me.


	4. Chapter 4

She told him they were leaving, that the true site of the war was on the other side of the world, a place known as Fuyuki City. Unquestioningly, he followed her to wherever her destination was. He would appreciate leaving; all of her servants reminded him of the Undead, and he was filled with an immense rage at the mere thought of their existence. Though he could not remember from where this rage came. He rationalized that the Undead are, by their nature, abominations, and they, and anything resembling them, should be unceremoniously eradicated. Before he fully realized, Illya had transported them to their new location. Time was not a concept he fundamentally understood: objectively long periods of time blended together for him, only being realized when the matter was brought up by his Master.

Their new locale was similar to that of the previous. The style and masonry of the building was clearly the same as the building they left, and it possessed a magical barrier surrounding it. However, instead of white fields surrounding the building, there was an expansive forest, verdant green encompassing one's entire vision. It elicited feelings of nostalgia for him, giving him a sense of calm. Yet, underneath that calmness, he felt a twinge of urgency, as though there were some important task bestowed upon him. The inside was to be sparsely furnished, save for the room where Illya would be sleeping and and a room filled with magical materials for her to practice with. By the time Illya's servants had finished preparing everything, night had fallen upon them.

"Artorias," Illya called, sitting in her room. In response to her summons, he willed himself into a physical form, a talent he acquired due to being summoned for this war. "Do you like this place?" He nodded. He had no real reason to dislike it. His Master had also decided to bring only two of her attendants in response to his animosity towards the lot of them.

"The war has officially started," Illya said after a brief pause. "Are you prepared?" He nodded once more. War was something familiar; he was accustomed to battle and he had seen enough that one more would not phase him. But Illya held a darkened countenance. During their trek here, she had seemed pensive, though he could not guess what was on her mind. It worries him. Through their brief time together, his Master usually portrayed a sense of joviality. Surely this change was not because she doubted his ability?

"Have you thought about what you would do with the Grail?" He shook his head. He is not concerned with that right now. The only thing he had wanted was to be free from the Darkness. His Master had liberated him, and it was for this reason that he pledged himself to her. Though if he had to decide at this moment, it would he the ability to speak. "That is quite alright," she said. "With your strength, we are bound to win this war regardless, so there will be time…" Once again, a grave expression had shown on her face.

"I'm glad you are prepared. Out of all we must accomplish in this war, there is one thing I resolve. I need to take revenge on Kiritsugu Emiya."

Of course. Kiritsugu Emiya, her father. She had spoken of him before, of how he betrayed her and her family. A quest for vengeance. Understandable. If this is what his Master wished, then he would comply.

"I'm glad you understand," she said, her usual smile returning. She stood and walked to the door. "I'll have Sella find out where he is. Until then-" Artorias placed a hand on her shoulder, urging her to stop. He would not have one of those abominations perform a task he could accomplish much more quickly and efficiently. And if this task was as important as she said, it would behoove them to perform it as quickly as possible. "Well, aren't you eager?" she said, sensing his intent. Illya had to agree with Artorias. She would prefer to do this immediately, and who knows how long it would take Sella to track him down. It might be showing her hand earlier than intended, but if she could resolve some of her frustrations, then it would be worth the risk. "If this is what you think is best, then by all means, lead the way." Gingerly, he lifted his Master and securely cradled her close to his body. After making sure she was gripping tightly, he leapt out of a nearby window. Wanting to give his Master a more accurate representation of his power and endurance, he exited the forest as fast as he could: what was supposed to be a four hour walk ended up becoming a scarcely twenty minute series of leaps and bounds. Illya was decidedly impressed. Though she did notice how Artorias still managed to carry his sword in his left hand; quickly after summoning him she realized his left arm was broken, and no magic she or anyone else performed was able to fix it. This truly was a testament to Artorias' strength. "That's enough," Illya said once they reached Fuyuki City proper. "I'll walk from here."

This particular night was relatively calm, Illya had noticed. No regular person would expect the magical events that would soon transpire in this very city. But she didn't care. At this moment, the only thing on her mind was revenge. To this end, any casualties suffered were immaterial. But she wouldn't focus on that right now. Her top priority at the moment was to find Kiritsugu Emiya. She and Artorias walked through a park, wanting to avoid anyone that would be awake at this hour in the more commercial districts of the city. Though the night was peaceful, albeit overcast, Artorias was still on guard. He had not forgotten that they were technically fighting a war. He tightly gripped his sword, wary of everything and expecting anything.

"I heard that Kiritsugu had adopted another child while he lived here," Illya began, resentment dripping from her words. "How can he be so flippant? Ignoring me… His actual daughter like that… It's infuriating. It's almost like-" In a singular movement, Artorias grabbed Illya, a brilliant lightning strike crashing down where she previously stood. With swift leaps, he deftly evaded a series of several other strikes of lightning, raining from the sky. Fearing for his Master's safety, Artorias set Illya on the ground, and as more lightning strikes threatened him, he readied his sword. With a grand swing, Artorias cleaved the lightning in two, redirecting the strikes away from him in violent explosions. "Getting attacked already?" Illya said. "Today is just full of surprises." There was a pause, the lightning had stopped, yet the two of them were very cautious, looking for any signs of movement. With light steps, a figure emerged from the shadows. Even in the darkness, Illya could clearly make out the figure: clad in golden armor, and wielding an equally golden lance, with a helmet that resembled a fierce lion, the figure stood before them.

"At first sight, I had thought you an imposter," The figure said, voice gruff, yet confident. "But skill like that can only mean you are truly Artorias. My apologies for attacking you both."

"...Explain yourself," Illya said, still wary of this new challenger.

"Of course," The figure said. In practiced form, the figure bowed before Illya. "I am known as Dragonslayer Ornstein, proud member of the Knights of Gwyn." Artorias tensed. The name was familiar to him, but that was all. "The same order Artorias belongs to." Artorias growled at the mention of his name. He could feel a dull pain forming his his head. "How interesting, that the both of us had been summoned for this paltry task." As Ornstein spoke, the pain in his head grew more intense, evolving from a dull throbbing to what felt like a pike impaling him. As if in response to his pain, the shadows cast by his form seemed to flare. Illya began to wince as well, their connection causing the pain to affect her.

"Hold on," Illya said, ignoring the pain she felt. "Why should I believe you?"

"...Has Artorias not told you? Of our heroic exploits and deeds?"

"Even if he had, how do I know you are not an imposter of some sort?"

"I suppose… that is a good point. Magic certainly has the capacity to do such a thing. But Artorias and I have worked together in the past. Is he not wearing a ring with a wolf embossed on it?" Illya glanced at Artorias' hands. Sure enough, on his left hand he was wearing such a ring. And as she did, the pain in her head grew as well. She brought a hand to her temple, trying to will away the pain to focus on the threat in front of them. The shadows under Artorias continued to flare, even more violently, as if they were the tendrils of some eldritch creature. Ornstein held up his right hand. "This ring I wear has a similar design, but instead of a wolf, it is a lion, proof of our order as the Knights of Gwyn."

Artorias pain grew even more, his head feeling like it would explode. He unleashed a mad howl, the dark shadows causing a violent explosion under him, throwing Illya away from him. Without a thought, Artorias madly charged at Ornstein. Caught by surprise, the Dragonslayer hardly had time to react as he used his lance to guard. Artorias continued his onslaught, violently slashing at Ornstein, who desperately defended against him. Before Artorias could land a hit, Ornstein used his free hand to summon a large bolt of lightning. Artorias saw this, and performed a mighty leap into the air. Just as Artorias was about to bring his sword down, Ornstein used the brief pause to jump backwards, away from Artorias. Illya recovered from being thrown to the ground, to see that Artorias had not wasted any time in charging toward Ornstein, violently attacking again. She noticed that the way he was attacking lacked any of the finesse he had shown previously, attacking carelessly, with no thought other than to attack.

"...It seems that this was a worst case scenario," Ornstein said, finally gaining more distance between them. "The Abyss has changed you in the way I feared the most. To the Master of Artorias, I wish we had more time to talk, but regardless, I implore you: please help him. I know you can." Immediately, Ornstein dissipated, leaving Illya alone with the Berserker. As he left, Illya could feel the pain in her head subside, and Artorias began to calm as well. Illya simply stared at the empty space where the Dragonslayer formerly stood.

* * *

A surprising twist that no one saw coming.


	5. Chapter 5

Far away from where their altercation took place, the Dragonslayer reconstituted. Breathing heavily, he leaned against a tree, the fight with Artorias having a serious effect. The Lancer had definitely prepared to fight during this mission, but did not expect to come across someone he knew, especially not someone he fought alongside numerous times. He chided himself for being so easily caught off guard. The Dragonslayer chuckled. "Artorias never was one to hold back, even during practice spars." He took a look around, having regained his composure, noting Artorias and his Master elected not to pursue. "How much has the abyss ravaged your mind, that you don't even recognize me? And worse yet, to be summoned to this war in that state... the Dark has even corrupted your soul," The Lancer mused, giving off a strained sigh, not because of the brief altercation with Artorias, but because the warrior had seen the terrible condition Artorias was in. Yet, Ornstein couldn't help but feel glad, seeing the Abysswalker walking around. That meant there was hope: he could still be saved from the Dark.

He thought back to the time he learned Artorias had died. He received a message from Ciaran after she and Gough had gone to search for him. She had acquired his soul, knowing without a doubt that the Abysswalker had fallen. Truthfully, Ornstein felt guilty. If he could have changed anything, he would have gone with him. Perhaps, if this grail he was fighting for had as much power as he heard, then he might be able to free him. But, that was enough reminiscing for now. He had to return to his 'Master'. Just the thought of that caused the Dragonslayer to scoff. "As if that cretin could truly control me," he said, words imbued with anger. Regardless of his feelings on the matter, he would comply for now. The sight of Artorias had given him something to strive for, and he would endure all he could for his cause.

"So you have to go to school everyday?"

"Not on Sundays." Currently, Rin was enjoying her lunch on the roof of her school, watching as the clouds passed by overhead. She would be enjoying it a lot more if Archer would stop with his annoying questions.

"I never went to school," the voice of Archer commented. "Too expensive for my poor family."

"Then what did you do?"

"Oh, that's not important. I wouldn't want to bother my Master by giving her a bunch of useless information, ha ha!" Rin sighed. For some reason, Archer would never give her a straight answer on anything regarding himself. It was starting to get on her nerves. Not because it had any bearing on the war itself, but she still wanted to know. Before Archer could continue with his inane prattling, her attention was directed to the sound of a door slamming open.

"Rin Tohsaka!" Called the one who created the disturbance. "I knew I'd find you up here, all by yourself!"

"Ugh," Rin rolled her eyes in disgust. "What do you want, Shinji?"

"Hey, hey," the blue haired youth said. "No need to be so hostile! I come with good intentions!"

"Of course you do," Rin replied sarcastically. Completely disregarding her tone, Shinji took this reply as affirmation and took a seat next to Rin, much closer than she felt comfortable with.

"It certainly is a wonderful day, isn't it?"

"Just cut to the chase," Rin hastily said. She wanted Shinji to get away from her as soon as possible.

"Straight to business as always!" Shinji exclaimed, a grin on his face that bothered Rin just by being there. Before he continued, Shinji gave a brief look around, ensuring that they were alone. "I know that you're participating in the Grail War."

"Oh?" Rin said, showing slight surprise. She had expected that Shinji was going to comment on that, though she couldn't surmise what his goal was in letting her know this.

"And I also know that you've summoned Archer."

"And how do you know this?"

"A little birdie gave me a hint," he chuckled. "The rest was process of elimination." Rin internally groaned. She knew he was talking about Kirei Kotomine. Why he would let Shinji know this is beyond her. She never could guess what that man was thinking. "Anyway," Shinji continued. "I've come to propose an alliance."

"...With who?" Rin asked, wary of where this conversation going.

"Why with me of course!"

"Yeah, right," Rin said, abruptly rising from her seat. With a flip of her hair, Rin made her way to the roof's exit. "Tell whoever got you to ask me that question that they won't get an answer unless they ask me in person."

"No one told me to do anything!" Shinji yelled, rising to his feet in anger. "I know that with the two of us, this war is good as done!"

"Wait…" Rin said, taking in what Shinji had just told her. "Are you saying you're a Master?"

"Yes, yes," Shinji said, reverting back to his calm, playful persona. "There is a lot more to me than what you know; I am a very deep and complex individual."

"But how?" Rin said, turning to face Shinji. "The Matous have been struggling with their mages for a while."

"What can I say?" Shinji shrugged, wearing a malicious grin. "I happen to be quite talented.

"Well who did you summon, then?"

"I suppose it would be fair to tell you, seeing as how we will be working together and all. I. Shinji Matou, have summoned Rider for the Grail War."

"Rider, huh?" Rin repeated. An impressive feat for Shinji, if he was telling the truth, which she was sure he wasn't. But, she recalled, the Rider class' greatest aspects were their magic resistance and their riding skill, as per their namesake; they were rather lackluster in other skills. "That could be a good matchup against Caster."

"Yeah it is," he smugly replied. "But so far, I haven't found out who they yet."

"Of course not," Rin mumbled. Knowing that would place the Master at a disadvantage, so obviously that's not going to be easy to learn.

"But," Shinji continued. "I do know that Saber still has yet to be summoned." This comment piqued Rin's interest.

"To think that the class that won the last war hasn't been summoned," She said. "That certainly is interesting," she chuckled. "Well, thanks for the information Shinji," Rin said, once again making her exit. "And about your proposition: my answer is a solid 'no'."

"What?" Shinji exclaimed. "You can't seriously deny me like that! You need me Rin Tohsaka! There is no way you'll win this war without my help!" Ignoring Shinji, Rin left the roof in the middle of his mad ravings. She had neither the time nor the patience to bear his lunacy; she had her class to get back to. Japan's educational system wasn't going to stop for something as trifling as Shinji's opinions on the Grail War.

"That was rather cold of you, don't you think?" Chester said once they were out of earshot.

"Please," Rin scoffed. "Shinji's like a toddler who throws tantrums when he doesn't get his way. He's harmless."

"Well he does strike me as that sort of type," Chester chortled. As she made her way back to class, she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. She wasn't sure what it was specifically, but for the rest of the day, she had a nagging feeling of anxiety, as if something was slowly suffocating her. However, Rin wouldn't let that impede her studies. Rin chalked up that feeling to Shinji as something always went badly when he was involved. She continued to perform her scholarly duties as her various teachers came and went, pushing that dreadful feeling out of her try as she might, that feeling of anxiety would not he abated. On the contrary, the feeling became more intense as the day went on. Even Chester had been on edge.

"Be careful, Master," he had said. "Something foul is afoot, I can feel it. I remember feeling a sensation similar to this before… but I can't exactly recall what it was."

"That certainly doesn't bode well," Rin mused to her Servant. She hoped that this feeling was strictly that: a feeling, but she feared the worst. As a precaution, she decided to stay late after school. She would wait until all the students and faculty had left and examine the premises for signs of foul play to assuage her fears. Once the school day had officially ended, she passed the time by looking in on her friends in the archery club, thankful that Shinji had decided not to show up. Based on the conversations she had with her friends and the jovial mood other students seemed to have, she concluded that nothing was wrong with the students. That was good, but she wanted to be totally sure that nothing was wrong. Once she had parted ways with her friends and night had fallen, she set about to give the school grounds a thorough investigation.

"Your friends seem nice," Chester said as Rin stalked the halls, checking inside every room she passed. "And they are quite good at archery."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Rin asked, continuing to move through the school.

"No, no! I really mean that!" Archer chuckled.

"Somehow it seems like you're making fun of them."

"Master, you wound me! You're friends are good shots, especially that one with the red hair."

"Now I know you're making fun of them."

"I know I'm supposed to be the 'Archer' here, but I'm really not that good at the whole aiming thing. Why I'm here, especially as that class, continues to baffle me." Before Rin could properly respond, That same feeling of dread came over her, yet this time the feeling was infinitely more intense, being nearly palpable. A wave of nausea overcame her with this feeling; it was so sudden, Rin lurched forward, almost being brought to her knees. In response, Chester materialized himself. He eyed his surroundings warily, not seeing any threat in the immediate vicinity. He could feel it too, that damnable feeling. At that is when he realized he knew where he first felt this. All of his senses heightened, directing him to a single point.

"Outside," he said, helping Rin to her feet. Pushing the nausea aside, Rin rushed out of the building as fast as she could. When she arrived to the front gates, she was greeted with two sights she had not wanted to see, causing her to look on in shock. The first, a large, monstrous entity, standing in full view. It's upper half held the visage of a lean, skeletal form, it's lower half vaguely resembling a dress of some form with skeletons interwoven into it, or rather, composed entirely of them. Underneath it, inky black tendrils whipped and flailed about in all directions. In its right hand was a large, black scythe that, even from this distance, Rin noted, reeked of some unfamiliar, yet invariably dark, magic. In its left hand, it was firmly grasping the neck of a student she was vaguely familiar with. Red hair, matted with dirt and sweat, betrayed the identity of an unconscious Shirou Emiya. The second sight, which Rin almost considered worse, was standing beside the horror: the seemingly disinterested and nonchalant figure of her history and ethics teacher, Souichirou Kuzuki.

"This one does possess some strength," the horrid creature said, its voice dark and reminiscent of an echo, yet vaguely feminine in nature. "It would seem your assumption was correct." The teacher nodded in response. The tendrils sharpened and pointed towards Shirou, inches away from his heart.

"Archer!" Rin yelled. Without needing another cue, Archer procured a slick, black crossbow from his coat and fired a shot, aiming directly towards the creature's head. Faster than a blink, the arrow found its mark, piercing the skull-like face of the monstrosity before them, causing the tendrils to go limp and for it to release its hostage who fell to the ground with an audible thud.

"A clean hit!" Chester exclaimed. Souichirou turned his head to look at these intruders, his face impassive.

"Let's go, Caster," he said.

"So soon?" The creature responded. Chester gave a nervous chuckle as his foe had shrugged off an arrow piercing its skull as if it were nothing. "These interlopers… they also possess a notable strength…"

"You'll have your chance," Souichirou replied.

"As you wish… Master." Caster wrapped its tendrils around the man, and the two sank into a puddle of Darkness.

"You're just gonna' let them go?" Chester asked.

"I don't want to fight where innocents could get hurt," Rin said, rushing over to examine Shirou.

"That makes sense. But what would they be doing at a school?"

"I can hazard a few guesses," Rin said grimly. "He doesn't seem too injured."

"What should we do with him?"

"We should take him with us. Those two might show up again and it'd be too dangerous if we left him by himself." Chester nodded and carried the unconscious youth as they made their way back.

* * *

The Unlimited Blade Works route is exactly the same as Evangelion: main character gets sad, giant monsters happen, and Shinji has to get saved by the worst girl.


	6. Chapter 6

Illya and Artorias stood in silence. While Artorias had outwardly calmed down, he wouldn't look at her. His inner thoughts had become a mire of self deprecation. The Abysswalker felt like a failure. Not only did he severely endanger his Master, but after his confrontation with Lancer, a memory of loss and defeat returned to him. He was sent to a land then known as Oolacile, to rescue a princess. Yet, the Dark had ravaged and swallowed the land long before he even got there. Foolishly, he sought to fight against the Dark, and even for all of his efforts, he only managed to endanger his canine companion Sif and be claimed by the very entity he aspired to conquer. The thought of past failures and mistakes whirled within the mangled mind of the Abysswalker, and into the quiet night, he released a pained howl.

Illya could feel the regret and remorse her Servant bore, the heavy weight of his despair seeking to crush her own soul. But she refused to break. She strode over to her Servant and, in an effort to comfort his mind, hugged him. And to his surprise, the contact between him and his Master seemed to melt away his negative thoughts. In fact, he began to find this slightly comical, as due to their massive size difference, Illya had only been able to barely wrap her arms around his left leg. Sensing that Artorias had truly calmed down, she released her hold and gave him an earnest smile, genuinely happy that her servant had a reprieve from the pain he bore. To have one's life and purpose stolen, the memories of those once held close, would be incredibly distressing, especially if one was slowly realizing all that was taken, just as her servant was doing. She wanted to spare Artorias from such heartache, even if it was only temporary. She wasn't sure exactly when it had happened, but she had grown fond of the Berserker, and it hurt her, in every sense, to see him pained in this manner.

"Well," Illya said. "It's about time we moved on." She wasn't sure how long they had been standing in that park since Lancer departed, but she had decided it was too long. "I'm sure everything will go swimmingly from here," she said reassuringly, urging the Berserker to dematerialize, an unspoken request he reluctantly obliged. With that, Illya returned to her mission, forging ahead with singular purpose. She had plans on what she would say to Kiritsugu, and she could hardly wait to see her dear father once more. She hastily exited the park, scarcely taking notice of the young woman carrying a seemingly unconscious body and muttering to herself.

"There's no one in this park…" Rin grumbled. "I understand that he'd be on guard, but he didn't have to leave me!" Rin scoffed. "'Want to get a wide view of the area' he said. How are you supposed to get a wide view if there are trees everywhere! When he get's back I am so giving him a piece of my mind…" she continued to moan and complain of her Servant's 'lapse of judgement', as she phrased it, leaving her to carry the unconscious Shirou Emiya. In the midst of her verbal tirade against the offender, she managed to take note of the young girl walking alone in the park. She briefly considered saying something to her along the lines of 'children shouldn't be out this late', but ultimately decided against it. She had more important things on her mind than the goings-on of some eight-year old. Her daddy must be nearby somewhere, so there should be no cause for concern. No one would just leave a child in a park this late at night unless they were either crazy or a complete and total asshole. Or both. But she hadn't seen anyone that acted crazy recently. And the girl looked like she was okay, smiling to herself about something or other. Therefore, Rin rationalized, that everything was fine. One potential circumstance that Rin thought of would be that she had bodyguards or something. She was wearing what looked to be really expensive clothing, so her parents were probably rich or Yakuza or the Mafia or something, so it would be in her best interest to steer clear of the young lass. Plus, she hated children. After considering all these factors, Rin came to the conclusion that the little girl was, decidedly, someone else's problem. She mentally chided herself for caring so much about some random little girl and thought no more on the matter, directing her thoughts back to how her Servant had wronged her so.

"Careful!" Archer said, suddenly appearing next to Rin, causing her to jump in surprise.

"D-don't sneak up on me like that!" Rin yelled, her face red from the embarrassment of being caught off guard.

"Someone approaches," he said, drawing his crossbow and disregarding Rin's proclamation. He stared down the path Rin was walking, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Rin, however, was focusing on the area around them. The night was eerily quiet, with nary a soul around; not even the whispering of the wind or the chirping of insects could be heard in that park. Now that she was paying attention to it, she found the ambience of the area unsettling. There they stood for what seemed like an eternity, until from down the road, the pair heard a faint squeaking sound. As the figure approached, Chester grumbled. "Whoever is coming down that path is extremely dangerous," he said, glancing at Rin.

"What makes you say that?"

"I… don't know. Something about their presence… it's chilling me to my core. It's as if every fiber of my being is screaming out in fear just by being this close to it." Hesitantly, Chester lowered his weapon. Coming toward them, in an ornate wheelchair, was an elderly man. He wore a brown jacket over a similarly covered vest with faded red pants and a black hat as well as a tattered cloak and scarf. His right foot was replaced with a peg, and in his hand he held a brown cane. Rin stared as he came to a stop in front of them, somewhat surprised that his old-fashioned wheelchair seemed to be moving of its own volition.

"I take it you are Rin Tohsaka?" He asked in a low, gravelly tone.

"Yeah…?" She replied hesitantly. She looked into his eyes, dull and weathered, framed by his gray hair. This man looked like he would die of old-age at any second, holding on for some reason Rin didn't dare guess.

"Heh," the old man chuckled, seeming more like a cough to Rin's ears. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," he said, giving as much of a bow as he could from his wheelchair. "The name is-"

"Gehrman." Chester said curtly. The old man gave another chuckle at this.

"Yeah, what he said."

"You know him?" Rin asked.

"I know of him," Chester replied. "In my old occupation, everyone knew the legend of Gehrman, the First Hunter."

"It seems my reputation precedes me," he chortled. "Regardless, I'll cut to the chase. My Master wanted me to follow you." Chester immediately raised his weapon again, cursing himself for even daring to lower it. Gehrman stared at the offending crossbow, a smirk plastered on his aged face. "However, I'm not here to harm you."

"As if we should believe that!" Chester scoffed.

"Put that toy away, boy. You might hurt yourself. But it is true, my Master seems to have quite the fascination with you." Rin sighed.

"You're talking about Shinji, aren't you?"

"I think that's what he calls himself," Gehrman confirmed. "Anyway, it would leave a bad taste in my mouth were I just to follow a young woman as she goes about her business, so I decided to introduce myself.

"Why?" Rin asked. "Doesn't that put you and Shinji at a disadvantage? I mean, now I know who you are, and Shinji already told me that you're Rider. What's to stop me from figuring out your Noble Phantasm and sending that information to others?"

"Nothing, I suppose. Though I'm not too worried about that. The Grail isn't mine to win in the first place."

"What makes you say that?" Chester asked incredulously.

"We're all just puppets in this game, boy. You, me, even my so called Master. I've just been a puppet longer than most. I know how these things go."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rin asked.

"That's not my place to say. But to answer your earlier question: I'm telling you this because my 'Master's' strings are going to be cut. And when that happens, either I'll be subject to someone else's whims, or I'll be gone from this plane for good. And honestly, I just want to be done with everything. But, if I am forced to fight, I will." The two stared at the wheelchair bound man in silence.

"Well now," Chester said, giving a laugh of his own. "That is certainly not what I expected."

"It would do you good to start expecting everything," Gehrman replied. "But it does feel good to say these things to someone. One does get tired of talking to a doll all the time." Rin decided not to comment on that. "I'll be going now," he said, his wheelchair starting to move away from them. "It was nice meeting you. I hope that, if we meet again, it will not be as enemies. Lastly, one word of advice, from one Hunter to another: watch out for the one in golden armor." Without another word, the old man left.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind…" Chester mumbled.

"Well I hope all the distractions are done," Rin said, hoisting Shirou onto Archer. "I'm sick of carrying him. Let's just go home already; I need to sleep."

"You got it, Master. You know what they say: '8 hours of sleep a day keeps you young, fresh, and free of disease!'"

"No one ever has said that."

In another part of town, Illyasviel found out that Kiritsugu Emiya had died. But she had learned the name of his adopted son: Shirou Emiya.

* * *

Okay, the framework for this terrible story is almost done, so the actual war part of this will happen soon and the action will pick up. On a completely unrelated note, Bojack Horseman is, like, my favorite show right now. On an even more unrelated note, if anyone has ever written or knows of a crossover fanfiction that mixes Sailor Moon and Durarara, please bring it to my attention. I would read the h*ck out of that. And my last unrelated note, I am hyped about that Pokémon Sun and Moon.


	7. Chapter 7

Shirou Emiya slowly opened his eyes. The room he was in was dark, being illuminated solely by the moonlight creeping in from the window. The first thing his mind registered was the bed he lay in: soft and cozy, covered with the most comfortable blankets he'd ever felt in his life. He was tempted to fall back asleep. Presently, he felt exhausted, mentally and physically, as if he'd run a marathon earlier after taking a school placement test. But his mind was brought back to the bed. Clearly he wasn't at his own home; his sleeping mat was nowhere near as cushy as this bed.

"Ugh…" he groaned, setting himself upright. He brought a hand to his temple, trying to will away the grogginess one is afflicted with when first waking up. But he shouldn't stay here, sleeping in someone else's bed. That's bad manners. "Speaking of which…" he removed the blankets and stood up, taking a moment for his initial dizziness to clear. "Where am I?" He looked down at himself, noting that he was wearing a set of pajamas. He looked around, lighting a lamp on the nightstand next to him. The room, now filled with artificial light, was sparsely decorated: there was a picture of the ocean hanging above the bed, a nightstand and the aforementioned lamp, and a chair in front of a wooden desk. He surmised that he was in a guest room of some sort. Hanging on the door frame were his clothes, freshly washed. He changed back into them, then made up the bed and folded the pajamas. He didn't want to impose upon the people that lived here, so he figured he'd thank them for the bed and be on his way. He left the room and headed down the hall to the staircase.

"...While that is true, it wanted him for a reason," Shirou heard as he began walking down the flight of stairs. He saw that the voice belonged to a tall, oddly dressed man with a hat who was talking to his classmate Rin Tohsaka. "I don't really know who it is," the man continued. "But I've felt something similar before. They called it-"

"Archer," Rin said, cutting him off. She gestured to Shirou who was standing in the middle of the staircase behind them.

"Sorry," Shirou said sheepishly, a little guilty that he overheard their conversation.

"Are you feeling okay?" Rin asked.

"Yeah," Shirou said, coming down the stairs all the way. "Nothing a little rest won't cure. Just feel kind of tired is all."

"Kind of tired?" The strange man asked incredulously, a smirk plastered on his face. "Do you remember what happened to you?"

"Uh…" Shirou gave a thoughtful look. Now that he was actively thinking about it, he couldn't recall exactly how he got here. "No, I guess not," he said with a chuckle. "But I shouldn't stay long, I have to go home and prepare dinner, so I should get going."

"Hold on!" Rin yelled. "You wake up in the middle of the night at a stranger's house with no memory of how you got here, and all you say is 'I need to go make dinner'?"

"...Yeah?"

"Jeez, how stupid are you?"

"Play nice, Master." Chester chortled.

"Listen…" Rin continued. "Emiya, right?" He nodded. "It's dangerous out there right now. It'd be best if you stayed here for now."

"Stayed here?" Shirou asked. "At… your house."

"...H-hey!" Rin yelled. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"I should probably call Fuji-nee, but then again..." Shirou muttered, oblivious to the furiously blushing Rin. "Nah, I can't stay here. I appreciate your concern, Tohsaka-san, but it really would be best if I just went home."

"Listen, Mr. Emiya" Chester said. "I'm going to speak candidly. You were attacked at your school earlier today; we were witness to this and took your unconscious self back here. I have reason to believe that your assailants are still at large and are targeting you specifically. We feel it is in your best interest to remain here where we can keep you safe."

"...Is this some kind of joke?"

"I can assure you it isn't," Chester said.

"Right…" Shirou said, unsettled by Chester's unwavering grin. "I think I'll take my chances."

"Didn't you hear what he said? If you go out there, you'll-"

"Let him go, Master," Chester said, placing a hand on her shoulder. After giving them a questioning look, Shirou made his way out.

"Why would you just let him go?" Rin yelled.

"With a guy like that, there's almost no changing his mind. It would just be easier to follow him and take out any threats as they appear."

"You mean like bait?" Chester nodded.

"In my line of work, that sort of thing is rather common."

"You're appalling," Rin grimaced.

"More so than you realize. Be that as it may, It would I'll behoove us to dally. It just wouldn't do to have your new beau pass from this life due to an act of careless procrastination."

"Don't even joke about that!" Rin chided.

"Then let's be on our way," Chester said with a faint chuckle.

"One last thing," Rin said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You never finished what you were saying about that Servant earlier. Better to tell me what you know now rather than later."

"...Very well," Chester said, his voice tickled with a trace of light annoyance. "It was the last thing I remember before I was summoned here. The place I was in had this… feeling of ever-present dread. Like no matter where you were, there was something lurking in the shadows, moments away from devouring you whole…" Chester paused, a cold sweat beginning to break just from the memory. "Anyway, apparently it was caused by something the locals referred to as the Abyss: this… concentration of darkness, for lack of a better term. I don't understand it much myself, but that Servant we fought gave me a feeling almost exactly like what I felt then.

"Supposedly the Abyss was the creation of a single individual, as the darkness would just radiate from them and corrupt everything in their path. I'm not sure if this Caster is the Abyss' creator or not; either way we have to be careful. One of the King's knights, the most powerful of them all if I am not mistaken, tried to destroy the Abyss and its progenitor, but found himself corrupted by it instead. I just fear that could happen to us. And that's all I have to say on the matter."

"I see…" Rin said with a nod. "Well, now I have a better idea of what we're up against." She gave Chester a reassuring grin. " We'll be fine since I'll be working you." Chester chuckled in response.

"You truly are sure of yourself, Master." Rin's grin gave way to a pout. "Triumphant pride precipitates a dizzying fall, but your confidence is contagious. Regardless, we better get going then."

Shirou hurried back to his home. It had taken him quite a bit to find his way back, as he had never been to Tohsaka's house before. Which reminded him that he had no idea how he got there. He didn't think that Tohsaka and her companion had anything bad in mind, but the way that guy kept smiling definitely crept him out. It took him until around one in the morning before he found himself on the familiar road back to his home. He found the place eerily quiet with the lack of people due to the time of day.

"Fuji-nee is gonna be pretty mad when I have to explain this…" he muttered. Coming home absurdly late with no forewarning or proper explanation is a recipe for disaster. "Maybe she won't freak out too much…" he sighed. Wishful thinking never really got him anywhere. He stopped for a moment and looked up at the moon. Nights weren't usually this clear, where you can see the moon and the stars. It made him think of his father and the last conversation they had before his death.

"...I couldn't wait…" A voice whispered from behind. Before he could react, Shirou felt a rough hand strangle his throat and lift him off the ground. "...I could feel a power radiating out of you like a beacon… I need that power…" The voice sounded like it was echoing from everywhere as his assailant spoke. Shirou desperately tried to break free; air was denied him and if he didn't escape soon, he would lose consciousness. He could already feel the world going blank. Try as he might, his efforts proved fruitless against the vice grip of his captor.

"It is no use to struggle," it said. "Your strength has been recognized, and I will have it. Now… become one with the Dark." In an instant, several spear like objects impaled through his chest.

Shirou let out a strained groan as he instinctively tried to look down; his vision blurred and his ears rang, but he managed to make out the image of several black spikes protruding from his chest, dripping blood. He tried to scream, but the creature's strangulation proved too powerful, against him, and before long, Shirou could flail no more. The tendrils were worming their way around him, engulfing and smothering him in an inky blackness.

"What the hell…" Shirou attempted to say, but he could no longer manage to make a sound. "Is this… Really the end…?"

"They got to him already?"

"We can still save him! Hurry up!"

Consciousness was rapidly fading from him, but he thought he saw Rin Tohsaka and her smiling companion come into his sight before he completely lost it. As his vision completely darkened, he could see his life flashing before him. It played like a movie, showing flashes of events from his life, starting with the more recent like fixing things for his classmates or hanging out with his friend Issei. His life was shown to him until the day he was rescued by Kiritsugu Emiya, after which he saw nothing but darkness.

Then he heard, clear as day, the utterances of one belonging to an era lost to time, one chained to an unwanted purpose and existence.

 _Soul of the mind: Key to life's Ether_

 _Soul of the Lost: withdrawn from its Vessel_

 _Let Strength be granted, so the world might be mended…_

 _So the world might be mended…_

A bright light shone forth from Shirou, it's intensity forcing the darkness, and his assailant to retreat from his newfound radiance. He fell to the ground, gasping for desperately needed oxygen.

"Emiya!" Rin yelled as she ran to his side. She helped him up as he turned himself around to see exactly what kind of person could lift him up and strangle him so easily. However, instead of the large, muscle-bound serial killer he expected, he was greeted with the visage of a young blonde woman, clad in a blue, dress-like armor, facing off against a skeletal monstrosity his mind couldn't fully comprehend. The young woman turned her head and gazed at Shirou with piercing green eyes.

"I ask you: are you my Master?"

Shirou balked at the question and stared at her. The abomination that attacked Shirou summoned a scythe as tendrils manifested from under it.

"And so your strength has brought forth another…" The creature said. It's tendrils danced around around it, and with a blinding speed, the charged the newcomer. Without looking away from Shirou, she swung a clenched fist; the tendrils collided with the air and were deflected. Chester took this moment while it was distracted to fire several arrows at Caster. The tendrils quickly recovered and defended, snapping the arrows in two before they could their mark.

"I know we just met and everything," Chester said, addressing the blonde woman. "But would you mind helping me out with this?" She regarded the enemy before them, its tendrils circling protectively around it. She nodded and dashed forward. Her speed scarcely gave Caster time to react: it brought up its scythe in a defensive stance and was quickly assaulted by the blonde woman. It used the scythe to defend against the woman's onslaught, all performed by the swift hand movements she was making. The offense was aggressive enough that Caster had to use its tendrils to aid in defending.

"Perfect…" Chester said as he watched the confrontation. With a steady hand, he readied his crossbow and trained his sights on Caster's head. With a click, the bolt was released. It tore through the air like a bullet, followed by a trail of a dark red liquid. In a blink, the arrow pierced through Caster's head, stunning the creature and leaving it open. Seizing the opportunity, the blonde woman thrusted her hand into Caster's chest, opening a wound that oozed a black fluid.

"Yes…" Caster said, it's voice holding a sort of childlike glee. "This one also possesses true strength… I will have it, but now is not the time…" The woman removed her fist and was ready to strike again, but before she could make contact, Caster's form faded into the night.

"Where did it go?" Rin exclaimed, frantically looking around.

"I can't sense it anymore, so I think it left," Chester said, putting his weapon away.

"What… was that?" Shirou asked through trembling breaths.

"That was the thing we were warning you about earlier!" Rin yelled. "You really need to learn to listen to others."

"And who's that?" Shirou asked, regarding the blonde woman.

"Saber. I ask again: are you my Master?"

* * *

I'm still doing this. I was really busy over the last couple months, and then I was real lazy the rest of it. I started writing what I am convinced is my absolute worst idea ever that I doubt will ever see the light of day, but that's not important right now. Pokémon Sun was great. I really loved the Vulpix. Can't wait to hatch a shiny one of those. School is fine too, thanks for asking. Now I just gotta wait to see who responds to all of my applications to places of higher learning. Lastly, feel free to insult or belittle this story. I deserve it.


	8. Chapter 8

"I still don't quite understand what's going on here," Shirou said. After the previous encounter, Shirou, knowing naught about what to do, invited Rin, Archer, and the newly summoned Saber to his home. Being the gracious host he was, he provided refreshments to them, hoping they would stay a minute and explain the night's events to him. Which they did.

"How are you not getting this?" Rin asked. "You summoned a Servant to fight in the Holy Grail War, so now you try to win! The whole thing is really simple if you think about it for two seconds."

"It's really simple if you omit the important details and intricacies involved," Archer chortled.

"I mean, the whole thing seems pretty far fetched," Shirou said.

"You summoned a Servant, correct?"

"...Yes?"

"And you saw that monster that tried to kill you?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"But nothing! Now that you've summoned a Servant, other Masters with Servants of their own will try to kill you."

"And this girl…" Shirou looked to the armor clad young woman, who returned the glare.

"Saber," she said.

"Saber… she's my Servant? And I summoned her?"

"That's the gist of it." Archer said.

"And how did I do that exactly?"

"What do you mean 'how'?" Rin asked incredulously. "You don't know how you summoned your own servant?"

"Not really. I think I died, actually."

"That can't be healthy," Archer joked.

"This just feels… unreal," Shirou mused.

"We're not getting anywhere with this," Rin sighed. "Come on Archer, let's go," Rin said, getting up to leave.

"As you wish, Master."

"Wait!" Shirou yelled. " What if that monster comes back?"

"We'll be fine. You focus on yourself."

"But-"

"Ugh," Rin groaned. "Look, see me on the roof after school tomorrow. You clearly won't understand anything unless I beat it over your head. You should be thankful that I can't just leave you on your own in good conscience."

"My, how gracious and kind of you," Archer quipped.

"Shut it," Rin ordered. They quickly left before Shirou could ask anymore questions, leaving him with his so called Servant.

"So…" Shirou started. "I don't suppose your house is anywhere near here."

"That is irrelevant, as I am your Servant, it is my duty to protect you. Therefore, I shall never leave your side."

"...Great…"

* * *

The Dragonslayer was not one for idling about. Especially during times of war, which was an odd description for the current situation in Ornstein's mind. Yet, the Dragonslayer was kept very busy, either fighting on the front lines or overseeing training of the King's knights. Therefore, not having orders when there was so much one could be doing nearly drove the Dragonslayer mad. He had finished the task assigned to him, and was now instructed to wait. Fortunately, his 'Master' had a sizeable library to which Ornstein helped himself. It was an odd feeling: none of the tomes of lore available had mentioned the kingdom of Lordran, nor its King: the Lord of Sunlight. In fact, there was no mention of anything familiar to the Dragonslayer, even in books recounting myriad myths and legends. Not a single chart or cartograph displayed a familiar location. He could not even satisfy the small pride held for himself by finding a simple mention of the Four Knights. It was truly perplexing, and, if the Dragonslayer were honest, quite unsettling.

From what the so dubbed 'Lancer' understood of the Grail War, the Masters summoned Servants to fight by procuring an object associated with the figure they attempt to summon. A successful summon attributes a class to the Servant and they are magically bound to the Master until the Master dies, can no longer sustain the link between them, or claims the Grail for themselves. Ornstein found it particularly contrived and convoluted, but in his mind that was true of most sorceries.

"Lancer." The stern voice brought the Dragonslayer out of his reverie. Ornstein slightly turned his head, acknowledging that he heard. The man, clad in the common garb of a priest spoke to him. "I understand that you had a confrontation with the Berserker?" He nodded. "How would you rate its strength?"

Ornstein grimaced. Just the sight of this man sent him into a rage. Luckily his expression was hidden under his helmet. "... Strong."

"Hmph," the man, his Master, scoffed. "Caster has shown itself. If we let it be, it will pose a problem later. Take care of it immediately." Without another word, he left

The Dragonslayer heaved a sigh. "I will find no answers here," he mused. "Perhaps this Caster will be another familiar face."

* * *

The Abysswalker's heart wrenched for his young Master. Having learned that this Kiritsugu individual had died severely affected the young lady. After this revelation the previous night, Illya demanded they return, where she promptly lay on her bed and cried until she passed out from exhaustion. And this he understood: if one devotes their life to another, tying their purpose to someone other than themselves, they inevitably end up at their mercy. Artorias had learned this lesson long ago, and for that, he lost his life. The soulless that served her tried to wait on her, but the Abysswalker kept them away. Regardless of his Master's trust in them, he still saw them as a threat, and until she said otherwise, no one would see her. It was until the sun was high in the sky that she rose, eyes still showing signs of her distress.

"Things never go as one expects," she said, a distant gaze upon her visage. Artorias sympathized. "Well, there's nothing to do about it now." Illya faced the Abysswalker. "You have done so much for me. Please, take a well deserved rest." She gave him a pained, forced smile, trying to assure him that she was alright. He could obviously see she was distraught, but he dematerialized his form. If she wanted to be alone, he would oblige her. She was his Master, after all. Illya sighed once the Berserker was no longer physically present. Crying over Kiritsugu's death was quite unbecoming, but she couldn't help herself. And yet, she still felt that gnawing pain inside her, telling her she still had unfinished business. She rose from her bed with rekindled determination.

"Very well, Kiritsugu. If you will not pay for your sins, then someone else will."

* * *

"Goddamn it, where is he!?" Rin Tohsaka paced the roof of her school, every so often impatiently tapping her foot. "Classes have been dismissed for an hour now!"

"Getting worried, Master?" Archer invisibly said.

"Of course I am! That guy doesn't know anything! For all I know, he probably got-" Rin was cut off tirade as Shirou walked onto the roof.

"Sorry I'm late, Tohsaka-san. I had to help with the-"

"Whatever it was isn't important! What we're doing here is a matter of life and death!"

"...Sorry?"

"You should be. We are in the middle of a war! While I wouldn't care if you went off and got yourself killed, the fact remains that other Masters might not hesitate to involve civilians. I know someone like you wouldn't doesn't have the guts to do something like that, and that's why I want us to work together. Especially if Caster is anything like the one from the last War."

"Caster?"

Rin nodded. "Have you seen Kuzuki-sensei today?"

"No, I heard he took a personal day or something."

"He's the Master of Caster, who attacked you last night. And if his Servant is that willing to fight, we're in trouble."

"No way…"

"And even with the three of us accounted for, there are four other Servant classes, only one of which I know who it is. So it is imperative that you take in all I'm about to tell you."

Rin proceeded to spend the next few hours ascertaining Shirou's knowledge of magic and the Grail War, both of which were next to nothing, and explaining to him everything he would need to know, topics ranging from the War's history and rules, to the mechanics of maintaining a Servant. Unfortunately for the both of them, Rin was an impatient and terrible teacher, growing increasingly irate every time Shirou asked for clarification or was unaware of something Rin considered common knowledge. Doubly so when she learned he was unable to provide enough mana to allow Saber to maintain an incorporeal form. This made for an arduous, grueling experience for all parties, save Chester, who couldn't help but laugh every time Rin yelled, 'How can you possibly not know this!?' turning what should have been a lesson no more than an hour's length into an event that lasted until the sun nearly set.

* * *

"Why the hell did I agree to this?"

"You're too tense to think straight. A pleasant stroll will do you good."

"That doesn't explain why I have to roll you around everywhere."

"I'm a crippled old man; only got one leg, you know. Real difficult to move myself like that."

"Ugh, what a pain."

"Quiet, boy. Your voice is disrupting my brief moment of tranquility."

"Hey, watch your tone! I'm still your Master!"

"A Master in name only. I don't know what deal you struck with that young lass, but we both know I exist here due to her."

"I still summoned you!"

"Congratulations, you summoned an old paraplegic to fight a war you couldn't handle yourself. Truly an accomplishment that will go down in history." Gehrman gave a wry chuckle. "Now shut it and let me breathe in this fresh air."

"You should still show me some respect," Shinji mumbled as he continued wheeling Gehrman through the forest. The First Hunter had insisted that the forest air would soothe his old bones. Shinji didn't care to understand what he meant, but went along with Gehrman's whims anyway. If his Servant felt better then he would fight better, he figured.

"You know, it's been said that forests such as this draw magic like a siphon," Gehrman said.

"Yeah, of course I knew that," Shinji lied.

"I'm not one for magic myself, but perhaps you could learn something here."

"Whatever."

"Be that as it may, I must say I'm glad to be subsisting on that girl's mana. It has a much better… flavor than what I'm used to." Gehrman gave a feeble laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll understand when you've gained some years. I've been around for a while, so I take my pleasures wherever I can get them."

"That won't matter once we win the Grail. Then we'll have whatever pleasures we want! I'll finally have everything I could possibly fathom…" Shinji began to giggle hysterically. "They'll see… they'll all see!"

Gehrman raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't put much stock in promises like that. Things of that nature never end up how you want."

"What do you know!?"

"Oh, struck a nerve did I?" Gehrman scoffed. "Can only wonder what you'd wish for that riles you so. You'd probably just wish for that girl from earlier if I had to guess."

"What!?"

"Don't tell me that's what you want this Grail for…"

"S...so what if it is!? If I win the Grail, not only will everyone see how important I am, Tohsaka will have to love me!"

"If that's all you want, a doll could satisfy you. I had a good one for some time, would be no trouble to acquire one of your own."

"That's pathetic. What kind of loser has to look to a doll for companionship?"

Gehrman shook his head. "Like I said, I take my pleasures where I can get them." Gehrman fiddled with his cane. "Life is tough, boy. Don't do anything you'll regret or you'll end up like me."

"That shouldn't be too difficult," Shinji said with a sneer. Gehrman snapped his head up.

"Hold!" At his sudden yell, Shinji stopped. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" with a sudden gust of wind before his eyes, the sky darkened and an eerie fog rolled in.

"Prepare for a fight, boy." The unforgettable sound of a summoning portal opening chimed into Shinji's ears. Seemingly from nowhere, a dark spirit appeared in front of them, clad in armor and tainted a dark hue, red as blood. It regarded them for a moment, and then made a waving gesture.

"What is that?" Shinji asked.

"You smell not of blood and seem to retain some semblance of sanity," Gehrman said to the spirit. "You are no hunter. What do you want?" The spirit said nothing, and instead unsheathed a zweihander. It then proceeded to bow, as if asking for a duel. Gehrman smirked. "I see. You don't look too tough. Watch and learn, boy. I'll do this with one hand." With creaks and cracks sounding from his bones, Gehrman stood from his wheelchair. With a flourish, he replaced his cane and procured a large, one handed blade. "Make your move, spirit."

The spirit ran forward, slamming its weapon down. Gehrman deftly dodged, but the blade was now headed right for Shinji.

Gehrman grunted. "Move if you don't want to die!" Shinji was paralyzed, unable to do anything but scream. The blade came down with a mighty crash, the wheelchair now in pieces, missing Shinji by a hair. He collapsed to his knees, breaking into a cold sweat. Gehrman charged, going for the spirit. It rolled backwards, evading the attack. "Sloppy," Gehrman said. He dashed at the spirit, who raised its sword defensively. Gehrman slashed with his blade. The spirit blocked a few strikes, then rolled away. Now on the offensive, Gehrman went for another attack. As he went, the spirit back stepped, and brought its sword down with another crash. Gehrman smirked. Quickly pulling back his attack, he sidestepped around the spirit while it was recovering from its failed attack. Violently, Gehrman brought back his blade, and with a mighty thrust, backstabbed the spirit, goring the body until his blade came out the spirit's side in a visceral display. The spirit was defeated, and dissipated into the air before its body could fall to the ground, the fog leaving with it.

The First Hunter sighed as he sheathed his weapon, turning to Shinji, shaking on his knees.

"You should get out of this while you can. A war is no place for cowards like you." Shinji didn't respond. Gehrman shook his head. "Go home, while you yet live, boy. I tire of this place." He dematerialized, living Shinji to snivel as long as he pleased.

Shinji didn't understand what happened. He knew what he was in for when he summoned Rider, but as he saw that blade headed straight for him…

"Damn it!" He cursed, trying his best to shake away the fear that gripped him. "How am I supposed to be a good magus like this? I'm a Matou! I'm supposed to be better than this!"

"A Matou, you say?" Shinji nearly jumped at the sudden voice. He turned to see a young purple clad girl, who politely curtseyed to him.

"I was taking a stroll through these woods to clear my thoughts, so imagine my surprise to see a scion of the Matou line wallowing in self pity."

"W...what?"

"How terrible it must feel to have your own Servant want nothing to do with you."

"Servant?" Shinji's eyes went wide. "Does that mean you-" as if to answer his question, a gauntlet clad hand gripped his neck and lifted him.

"But the fact that you have a Servant makes us enemies. It is then expected of me to end your life here, is it not?"

 _This is it_. Shinji thought as his life flashed before his eyes. _I'm going to die._

"But, unlikely as it may be, perhaps you may know something. Please humor me." Shinji nodded as best he could whilst within the grip of her Servant. "Does the name Kiritsugu Emiya mean anything to you?"

"Emiya…?" Shinji struggled to say. "I know a Shirou Emiya…" The girl's eyes widened. The armored man released him, allowing Shinji to breathe freely.

"Do you know this... Shirou personally?"

"I… guess?" The girl smiled. "How rude of me not to introduce myself. Illyasviel von Einzbern. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Einzbern?" Any magus worth their salt would have heard of the Einzbern family. Cloning their entire lineage has no dwindled their magical abilities in the slightest, though the process is full of its own troubles, though he was not too familiar with that aspect.

"I would like you to help me. I have business with Shirou Emiya, and could use someone with whom he is already acquainted. In return, I will not kill you."

"Yes! I-I mean... together, we'd be unstoppable?" He punctuated with a laugh that came out more nervous than he was hoping. Shinji may have been haughty, but he would have to be a bigger fool than he was to pass up this offer. With the skill of an Einzbern at his disposal, the rest of this war should be a breeze. And if he got on this eight year old's good side, he'd have no trouble getting rid of her and her very threatening Servant. Though it seemed like she wasn't giving him much of a choice in the matter.

"I am glad you see how this would benefit you," she smiled. "Please come with me. We have much to discuss." With that, she turns and walks deeper into the forest. The Servant drew his blade, urging Shinji to follow her. He didn't want to be left alone with a guy who could kill him without leaving any evidence, as he had enough near death experiences for one day. As such, he went along with the girl for now. But, even though he had a plan for the moment, there was no telling the many things that could go wrong. In fact, Shinji thought, looking from an outside perspective, he must seem really stupid. Which is why, as they trekked through the weald, an overwhelming feeling of anxiety began to overpower him.

"What am I about to get into?

* * *

So, what have we learned?

1\. I am a hack

2\. I have no concept of time

3\. Haru is the Best Girl in Persona 5


	9. Chapter 9

Shinji wasn't sure if this little girl could tell, but simply being in her presence was extremely unnerving. Perhaps it was the knowledge he had of the Einzbern's and their undiluted magical prowess. He eyed the girl as she sat, calmly sipping a cup of tea that one of her handmaids had provided. He looked down at the cup that was provided to him. The girl had said it was some blend of obscure plants Shinji had never heard of nor cared to know. Whatever the case, he wasn't planning on drinking it. Or rather, he wouldn't have if he hadn't heard a frightening, deep grumble come from behind him. The girl's Servant eyed him threateningly, his glare undiminished by his lack of a face with which to glare. Not wanting to offend his host and have her servant sicced on him, Shinji downed the cup in one gulp.

"Do you like it?" The girl asked. Shinji thought it tasted like burnt leaves and alkali metals.

"Y-yeah… it's good…" he lied.

"I am quite glad you agree,"The girl said with a nod. After taking a few more sips of her tea, she set her cup down. "Mr. Matou, I shall make this brief. As I mentioned before, I have business with Shirou Emiya."

"Yeah. But I have to ask, what did he ever do? I mean, he may be an annoying prick, but I don't think he'd have anything to do with the Einzberns."

"I do not take issue with Shirou, per se, but he is the only link to Kiritsugu Emiya."

"'Kiritsugu'? I take it that's his father?" Shinji noticed Illyasviel wince at that remark.

"Of sorts. If you were unaware, Kiritsugu's actions ended the Fourth Grail War, and is the reason the Grail manifested so quickly."

Shinji knew that name sounded somewhat familiar. If he recalled correctly, Kiritsugu summoned the spirit of King Arthur as Saber. His uncle Kariya was part of the Fourth War too, summoning Berserker. Zouken once mentioned some commotion between Saber and Berserker that Kariya ended up losing, but he couldn't remember all the details. He was beginning to regret not studying more of the War's history. "Shirou's dad was a magus?" He asked.

"By some capacity. Though by his reputation, he was oft referred to with the epithet 'Magus Killer'."

"So that means Shirou could be a magus too…"

"There is that possibility. If Kiritsugu taught him well enough, then Shirou is not a force to be taken lightly."

"Certainly fooled me. He's like a naive kid who doesn't know how the world works. I bet he doesn't have any magical talent to speak of! Hell, if he had any prowess with magic, there's no doubt he would be using it to help those other idiots with… their dumb, menial tasks… " Having come close to an epiphany, Shinji brought a hand to his chin in thought. "Wait a second…" Shinji just remembered how Shirou was able to fix nearly anything that was malfunctioning, seemingly identifying the issue solely by touch. And he around asking people if he could fix things for them "...Could he be using magic for that?" It suddenly clicked in Shinji's mind: A bleeding heart like Shirou would totally do some dumb shit like that.

"Do you consider Shirou as a threat?" Illya asked, interrupting his pondering.

"...Not really. I could beat that kid up if I wanted." While this was certainly true in Shinji's mind, the notion that Shirou could be a magus had made him put up his guard. He thought that, if it came down to it, this girl could fight Shirou. And hopefully kill him. And if he turned out to actually be a threat, at least he'd know what he's getting into.

"Regardless, I am not interested in Shirou as a magus. Information about Kiritsugu is scarce, and I need Shirou to tell me everything he knows about that man." Shinji eyed the girl. He knew that wasn't the entire story. But he wasn't sure if pressing that particular topic was prudent, as any wrong move here could end up with his head in a long distance relationship with the rest of his body.

"So… you want me to assist you... because Shirou has a connection with this Kiritsugu guy, I just happen to know Shirou."

"Precisely," the girl smiled. "Our meeting was quite serendipitous, I must say." Shinji was sure that if this coincidence hadn't occurred, he be dead in a ditch somewhere. While Shinji might not have a particular fondness for Shirou, he did silently thank him for potentially saving his life. And, if she was asking for something like this, then she was probably having difficulty finding anything else about this 'Kiritsugu'. Since that seemed to be the case, as he was certain no Einzbern would ever ask for outside help, against his better judgement, Shinji tried to push her a little bit.

"That's nice and everything, but this doesn't seem like it benefits me at all. The way I see it, you're basically forcing me into this."

"I implore you not to think of it that way."

"So what's your endgame here? You clearly think he passed some anti-magus techniques to Shirou and plan on using them. What do you want the Grail for? What is your wish?"

The girl dropped her smile. "Were you not listening to me? I reiterate, I have no intention to talk to Shirou on matters of magic." She let out a sigh. "To be perfectly honest, I have no desire to own the Grail, either. If you somehow manage to survive until the end, I shall allow you the Grail without argument."

Shinji's eyes widened in shock. "Really?" The girl nodded. Shinji narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, like I'm supposed to believe that."

"I assure you, Mr. Matou," her eyes met Shinji's with a piercing gaze. "I do not want that thing which inhabits the Grail." Shinji looked pensive; he wasn't sure what she meant by that. Regardless, there was no way he believed that 's no way the Einzberns would just hand over the grail like that, especially not to a long time rival. However, as he was still in the lair of the Einzbern's scion, he felt it would behoove him to agree. He could come up with a plan when her Servant wasn't an arm's length from him, blade in hand.

"Well… if you truly mean that, I suppose I could help…"

"You have my thanks" she said with a smile. "Please bring Shirou to the park at 9:00 tomorrow night. I shall be there."

"Tomorrow is a bit sudden… but think I can do that no problem," Shinji said with a nod.

Illya grinned. "Then I look forward to our collaboration." At a wave of her hand, one of Illya's handmaids escorted Shinji out of the premises. "...The iniquity of the father shall be laid upon the son," Illya said once Shinji had left. The grin she bore contorted into a malicious sneer. The Berserker couldn't help but worry about his Master. The pursuit of vengeance clouds judgement and oft leads to ruination. But, he pledged to follow and protect his Master, no matter her aims, or the pawns she used in her schemes. Artorias' link to Illya had miraculously pulled him from the clutches of the Abyss, a feat no scholar of his era had been able to accomplish. Furthermore, his Master's abilities have also managed to restore shards of his fractured ego; since he had been summoned to Illya's side, bit by bit his memories have returned. Though he had showed no progress with his physical form, evidenced by his lack of a definitive body and puzzlingly broken arm, this development was one for which he was eternally grateful.

However, even with their connection, the Abysswalker could only garner a general idea of what his Master was feeling, not the entirety of her inner machinations. Had he the ability, Artorias would heave a sigh. He knew that Illya was in pain, but he was not equipped to deal with matters of the heart. He was trained to kill. Outside of that area, his skills were quite lacking. He thought back to his old team, memories that had since returned. Contrary to his gruff, towering figure, the giant Gough possessed a talent for comforting others. The Abysswalker longed to see the Hawkeye once more. Both him and the Lord's Blade Ciaran. Though he could never set right what went wrong, he longed to at least apologize for his failures. Yet, though it was unlikely for him to encounter them, by some twist of fate he had come across the Dragonslayer Ornstein. He didn't know what came over him the first time they saw each other, but he wished to meet his old ally and friend. Perhaps he would plead to his Master once her business was concluded. He only hoped that, whatever the resolution, it would give her the catharsis she desired.

* * *

As the homunculus escorted him out of the forest, he was sure that it was leading him around in circles since it took what felt like hours for him to see any signs of normal society. Once the homunculus parted ways with him, Shinji couldn't help but sigh. His first battle in the war was a failure, his Servant didn't think he could handle the pressure, and now he's getting wrapped up with the Einzberns. And the worst part is he knew Zouken had somehow heard of this by now, and he was not looking forward to whatever he wanted to say. Zouken's lectures were both torturous and uncomfortably dull. If he didn't perish by whatever physical torment Zouken thought fit to inflict, he would surely die of boredom. Shinji needed to think. There had to be a way he could twist this to his advantage, but at present he was starved for ideas. As well as food, now that he thought of it. The Einzbern girl provided him a beverage, but nothing to eat.

"Do homunculi even need to eat?" He wondered aloud. But that was a question to which he cared not to know the answer. As such, he decided to stop by a restaurant instead of going home. Plans never came on an empty stomach.

* * *

It wasn't until the late evening that Shirou was able to go home, having been given a crash course on the history of magic and the Grail War by Rin, who he realized was definitely not fit to teach in any capacity. He only gained some knowledge because Archer helped Rin explain, and was taking notes. He knew that his tracing trick was a type of magic, but he didn't know there was so much history and theory behind magecraft. When he explained how he traced things he remembered her calling it a form of 'projection' or something. It was all a bit too much, and he didn't remember Kiritsugu explaining that much about magic to him. He resolved to mull it tomorrow after a good night's rest. "I'm home!" He called.

"Welcome home, Master," the girl known as Saber called as he entered.

"Oh, you're still here," he said.

"Of course," she responded.

"Don't you have a place of your own?"

"Irrelevant. My purpose is to serve you in your quest for the Grail."

"I guess I get that, but-"

"Shirou!" Before he could ask any more questions, a foot met squarely with his face, sending him crashing into the wall. "Shirou," his assailant said again. "Who's this cute girl in our house? Did you kidnap someone else to add to your harem!? What would poor Sakura think if she saw this?"

"Kidnap?" Shirou asked.

"And why'd you make her wear all that armor? It looks super uncomfortable!"

"Fuji-nee, I didn't kidnap anyone!"

"A likely story! That's what they all say!"

"I seriously doubt that…"

"You need to apologize!"

"For what?"

"You can start by making us dinner!"

"...That's what this whole thing was about, wasn't it?" Taiga simply grinned in response. Shirou sighed. Resigned to his fate, he set about preparing a meal for the three of them.

"So, what's your name?" Taiga said, taking a seat across from their new guest.

"I currently go by 'Saber'."

"Ooh, Saber! That must be one of those European names, like Charlotte or Arabella. What brings you here to Japan?"

"I am here to aid my Master in-"

"She's someone from Dad's past!" Shirou interjected.

"From Kiritsugu's past? Oh, so then you're here to pay respects to him." Saber glanced at Shirou, who was silently pleading her to agree with his lie.

"...Yes," she finally said.

"Yeah, he helped her family a lot before he lived with us," Shirou said, trying to craft a believable story. "Also she doesn't like to talk about it, so try not to upset her."

"Yeah, I get where you're coming from," Taiga said. "Stuff like that isn't okay to talk about sometimes." Shirou breathed in relief, glad that she bought that lie so easily. "Don't worry! You can stay with us as long as you need! Oh, speaking of which, you must be into cosplay or something with that outfit."

"Cos...play?"

"Yeah, like, dressing up as people from anime or games."

"I… cannot say I know what you mean."

"They probably don't have words for stuff like that where she comes from."

"Oh… do you have any other clothes? What you're wearing can't be comfortable."

"It is more comfortable than most armors. Furthermore, it offers a considerable amount of protection."

"Her luggage was lost on her way over here," Shirou said, deflecting from whatever Saber was going on about. Taiga shook her head with a smile.

"Now I get it. You just can't go without helping people, huh Shirou? Saber, tomorrow, you and I are gonna get you an entirely new wardrobe!"

"Yeah… that's probably for the best," Shirou said.

"...If that is what you desire, then I shall acquiesce."

"Great! We're gonna have so much fun! By the by, how old are you? You look to be about Shirou's age."

"Age no longer means anything to me. I have spent countless cycles in a hellish limbo, retaining the form I currently have. If I had an age, I no longer remember it, nor does it bear any consequence to me." Shirou glared at Saber. If she kept talking like that, Taiga was definitely going to get suspicious if she wasn't already, and the last thing he wanted was for her to be endangered because of this Grail thing. But, to his surprise, she laughed.

"You're definitely still young! Let's see if you're saying things like that once you're old enough to drink!"

"You do not understand. Age has no bearing on-"

"Alright, food's ready!" Shirou yelled, hastily setting the table for the three of them. He definitely needed Saber to stop talking. She was so close to tipping of Taiga that she was not a normal girl. At best, she'd probably just think Saber was taking a joke too far, at worst she'd probably think they were both crazy. Even a person with little common sense would start to question Saber's sanity if they listened for long enough.

"Looks delicious!" Taiga said.

"It's just soba," Shirou said. "Nothing major."

"And it tastes great! Try it, Saber!" The Servant looked to Shirou, who agreed with Taiga. Taking this as an order from her Master, she sampled the dish in front of her.

"What do you think?" Shirou asked. He assumed that she wouldn't say anything if she wasn't asked.

"It tastes… fine."

"You're palate just isn't attuned to Japanese cuisine," Taiga said. "Give it a few days and you'll love everything Shirou cooks!"

"You shouldn't inflate my abilities like that. I'm not that good. And besides, not everyone is gourmand like you."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Dinner continued as Taiga and Shirou talked about their day, and Taiga listing off all the places she would visit with Saber the next day.

"Whew, what a meal," Taiga said as everyone finished eating. "Good job, Shirou."

"There's no dessert if that's what you're after."

"I don't need any dessert anyway. Unfortunately, I have to prepare for my classes tomorrow."

"A teacher really shouldn't say that's unfortunate."

"Yeah yeah," Taiga said as she stood to leave. "I prepared Saber a room before you got home, so don't get any ideas about her!"

"Don't you have work to do?"

Taiga giggled. "Take care of the dishes, okay?" With a wave she left, causing Shirou to sigh.

"Man, that was rough,"

"Are you okay, Master?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. And could you quit calling me 'Master'? It feels so… weird."

"I call you my Master because that is what you are."

"I guess that's true in a sense… but it just has… suggestive connotations. I'd just really feel a lot more comfortable if you called me 'Shirou'."

"As you wish… Shirou."

"Thank you," he said. He eyed the girl across from him. Her face was completely serious, betraying no hint of emotion. Her eyes focused solely on him. He wasn't sure if she was looking at him to say something, or if she was analyzing him like a researcher to a lab rat. If he was being honest, her gaze was making him really uncomfortable. "But... you know my name and I don't even know yours. Surely you'd like to be called something other than 'Saber'?"

"That appellation will suffice."

"You sure?" Saber nodded. "I mean… if that's what you want, I won't argue." Shirou rose and collected the dishes.

"However, I am afraid I must confess something."

"What?" Shirou asked as he put the dishes in the sink.

"While I said your meal was 'fine', I must admit that I no longer have a sense of taste. As such, I cannot truly give your creation the praise it deserves."

"That's it? That's nothing to apologize for," Shirou chuckled, beginning to wash. "I mean, it's a shame you can't taste anything, but I wouldn't be offended if you didn't eat or like anything I made. I thought that was going in a totally different direction," he chuckled. "You scared me for a second."

"Forgive me, for that was not my intention."

"It's okay, really. I just thought you were gonna say something like 'I have to eat babies in order to survive'."

"Truthfully, I require no physical sustenance."

"I kinda figured that was the case. Nevertheless, the only thing we need to worry about right now is making sure Fuji-nee doesn't catch on to this Grail stuff. But if she's taking you shopping tomorrow… she's definitely gonna ask a whole bunch of questions. I guess… for now, if she asks where you're from, just say... Britain. She'll buy anything you say about your past if we chalk it up to cultural differences, I think."

"If that is what you desire, Shirou."

"This is turning out to be really complicated… Tohsaka-san had to lecture me all about magic today. It mostly went over my head, though. I don't even know how I summoned you in the first place. I'm kind of worried how this will all turn out."

"Shirou."

"Hmm?" He turned to look at his Servant, only to find her kneeling right in front of him.

"If you require my assistance in any fashion, please do not hesitate to ask me. You have summoned me into this land with the purpose of serving you, and I shall listen to your every command."

"I mean… I can't really think of anything right now, but… wait, 'every command'?"

"If you have need of anything, I will scour the land until I find it for you. My being is, henceforth, devoted to you and your cause."

"Um, that's a little extreme."

"Please," she said, looking into his eyes. "Allow me to do this for you."

"...If you're this insistent... I guess there's no harm with me saying okay to… whatever you mean. Ah, but I don't mean that in a weird way!"

"Then our covenant has been established," she said, rising to her feet.

"Covenant?"

"From this moment on, your enemies are my enemies, your goals ate my goals. I shall devote my existence to vanquishing all that oppose you and your order.*

"My… order?"

"I shall obey your every command. Without question; without hesitation. If I falter, may I be smited down for committing such a grievous sin."

"...Right. Wait there for a second."

"As you wish." As Shirou left Saber in his kitchenette, one thought permeated his mind.

"This chick is nuts!" He stifled his yell into as much a whisper as he could manage. He was seriously regretting this whole Grail War thing. He only agreed to it because he thought he could help a lot of people with the Grail's power, but having to deal with this Servant was not a task he was prepared to undertake. He didn't even know why she was summoned in the first place! He was tempted to just leave until the whole thing blew over, but if his hunch was right, Saber would wait there until he told her to move. And he couldn't just leave the poor girl like that in good conscience. He shook his head."I can't quit right now, without anything even happening. I'll never be a hero like that." Without further deliberation, he returned to the girl, a large book in his hands. "Here," he said, handing it to Saber. "Read this."

"...Is this, perchance, a tale of the gods of this world?"

"Uh, not really. It's a history book."

"I… I see."

It might just be him, but she sounded disappointed. "If we're going to have a believable story for Fuji-nee, you should at least have knowledge of the country you're pretending to be from."

"I will not squander this knowledge, Shirou. I will guard it for eternity."

"You don't have to go that far…" Shirou said. He couldn't help but bring a hand to his face, trying to will away a coming headache.

"Are you okay, Shirou? Is there any way I may aid you?"

"No, I'm fine! You don't have to do anything!" It was very slight, but Shirou swore he saw Saber twitch at the tone of his voice. "Look… I'm going to bed now. Just… take it easy for right now, okay? Please don't do anything crazy."

"You needn't worry about me, Shirou. Your desires and well-being are what I wish to protect and serve. Even in your absence, I shall be the epitome of dignity and grace, a Servant worthy of you."

Lacking the charm and skill to respond to Saber's heartfelt pledge, Shirou gaped at his Servant in stunned silence. After what felt like an eternity of the two staring at each other, Shirou retreated to his room without another word, falling asleep as soon as he lay down. Truly he wanted to go over all the magic notes he took from his lesson earlier but dealing with Saber's shenanigans had mentally drained him. He was never one to think 'why do today what you can put off until tomorrow', but doing anything else right now would have sent him over the edge into madness.

And, for some reason, he had a dream that Saber set him on fire.

* * *

There are some people who think Red Saber is the best Saber. There are also people who think Saber Alter is the best Saber. And there are even more people who think Classic Saber is the best Saber.

They are all wrong.

The best Saber is clearly Saber/Prototype.


	10. Chapter 10

Awaking the next morning to the same anxieties as yesterday, Shirou willed himself from slumber. The calm quiet, coupled with the lack of a certain blonde haired Servant immediately apprised him of his solitude. He honestly hadn't expected Taiga to take Saber out this early, as she usually woke up much later when given the opportunity. Granted, though people that knew her wouldn't consider Taiga very 'girly' she did have the stereotypically feminine interest of shopping. As he thought about it, it did come to his mind that she had always asked Sakura to go shopping with her. Which she never did. It must have excited her to have a partner that actually agreed to have an outing like this, even if Saber only agreed at Shirou's behest. Not that he minded either way.

As it was an uncommon occurrence that Taiga wasn't clamoring him for breakfast on Sunday morning, he decided to use this time to go over the notes he should have went over yesterday. Peace and quiet are conducive to study, and with the way Shirou's life tended to go, a chance such as this might not happen again for months. After performing his morning chores and hanging out the laundry to dry, he brewed himself a cup of tea and set himself up for his review.

* * *

The sound of a lance piercing through armor and flesh was not one unfamiliar to the Dragonslayer. Though, as befitting his title, his spear found its way more into the hides of everlasting dragons, Ornstein had seen a fair amount of battles with the likes of mortals. And, seeing as how he was involved in something referred to as a 'War', he was only slightly surprised when the red hued phantom appeared before him with a bow, challenging him to a duel. It was no challenge, of course, as a single swing of his spear eliminated the phantom, it dissipating in a nondescript efflux of souls. He was surprised, however, to see the same red hued phantom appear before him not five minutes later after being vanquished. Once again, a single strike quelled it. But, like before, it appeared again. And again. And again.

Ornstein at least had to respect his foe's tenacity, but their matches were like a gnat fighting a giant. He had lost count sometime after their fourteenth encounter. If it wasn't for his distaste in following his Master's order to deal with Caster, he would have stopped entertaining this phantom and gone to do something else. However, the Dragonslayer was forcibly compelled to listen to his Master, and thus had to continue this goose chase. Although, there was no strict command that he couldn't take a break at his leisure. Leaning against a tree in the forest, Ornstein waited. He had surmised, based on the number of times they fought, that it was afflicted with the Curse of the Undead. He had only seen those with the Curse a handful of times before; all he knew of them was they were not permitted to die and eventually lost their sanity: a state they called 'Hollow'. He pitied the creature, forced by whatever Master brought it to this world to fight a battle it had no choice of winning until it lost its mind. With a gust of wind, the dark spirit appeared again, pulling the Dragonslayer from his thoughts.

"Well then," Ornstein said. "Shall we go again?" The phantom sheathed the katana it was using up to this point and brandished a greatsword with an accompanying dagger. It crossed the dagger over its sword arm and slightly bowed its head. Ornstein didn't know what this gesture meant, thinking it was some form of etiquette. He couldn't help but find it strangely familiar. Then, it leapt forward. The attack was easy enough to dodge. The Dragonslayer went for a horizontal blow with his spear.

Just as the blow was about to connect, the dark spirit ducked, implanting the dagger at his feet. Like a madman, the dark spirit of swung its blade in wild arcs at Ornstein's feet, landing its first blow out of all their matches. The dark spirit flipped into the air, bringing its sword down on Ornstein. The Dragonslayer was able to recover quickly, taking a great leap backwards.

"I will admit," Ornstein said. "That was a bit of a surprise. But you shan't be that lucky again." Once again, something about this spirit's mannerisms suddenly reminded him of something, but he couldn't place it.

Ornstein dashed forward, spear trained on his foe. He would bait out a few more attacks before he finished it off once again. It attempted to parry with its dagger, which was for naught against Ornstein's might, taking the force of his spear, pushing the spirit back a significant distance.

It ran forward again, making a swing with its dagger. Ornstein didn't attempt to dodge, the dagger missing by a clear margin. It followed through on its momentum with a swing from the greatsword. Ornstein had to take a quick step back, its blade a hair's length from the Dragonslayer, barely missing.

Not done judging the phantom's strength, Ornstein made a showy display of running a powerful electric current through his spear. Falling for his trick, the dark spirit sheathed the dagger and made a powerful thrust with the sword. And that action brought realization to the Dragonslayer, hitting him with an incandescent clarity. No longer wishing to continue this farce of a battle, he quickly charged at the dark spirit, running it's spear through its chest. Lifting it like a rag doll, Ornstein discharged an intense surge of lighting through the dark spirit, sending it back once again to whatever corner of oblivion it crawled from.

Once the deed was done, Ornstein brought a hand to his helmeted temple. It all seemed so clear in retrospect: why its actions were so familiar.

 _Sparks flew as steel collided with steel, the sound of weapons clashing polluted the area. Facing each other in a large battleground, the Abysswalker and the Dragonslayer crossed blades. Spear thrusts parried by a greatsword, wide sweeping slashes deftly dodged. And yet, on the sidelines, a giant and a young woman spectated this great display of combat prowess._

" _Come on Ornstein, kick his ass!" The woman cheered. "Artorias needs to be knocked down a peg or two!"_

" _Your duels are not nearly as fun to watch if you aren't fighting to kill," the giant quipped._

" _Gough is right," The Dragonslayer agreed, grin hidden under a helmet. "You're not even using your shield this time. You finally ready to admit I'm the better fighter?" The Abysswalker scoffed in response._

" _Talkative as always, Artorias," the woman said. Ignoring that comment, the Abysswalker held his attention on the Dragonslayer. With a mighty leap, he flipped above the Dragonslayer and brought his sword down with a crash, his target narrowly avoiding being smashed by quick use of a backstep. He followed up with another leap, chaining them together to follow the Dragonslayer as he continued to evade._

" _That's a new one!" Ornstein exclaimed, spear building up a current of electricity as he dodged the Abysswalker's next strike._

" _Did you know Artorias could jump like that, Ciaran?" Gough asked._

" _Not really. He always has his greatshield with him. I guess without it he's less encumbered, allowing for this… impressive display of agility."_

" _Yes. Quite impressive," the giant amusedly replied.  
_

" _A few fancy jumps won't help you that much," Ornstein said. Bolts of lighting discharged from the Dragonslayer's spear. The Abysswalker swatted them away with his greatsword and pressed his attack._

" _How many of these fights have they had?" Ciaran asked._

" _By my count, this is the seventh time this month."_

" _You think they ever get tired of it?"_

" _Of course not. Fighting each other like this helps keep their skills sharp. Mayhap they simply wish to prove who is stronger."_

" _They don't have to prove anything to prove to anyone! Well... maybe Ornstein does, but that's a special case."_

" _You say that like you don't enjoy the spectacle."_

" _I must admit, I do get a thrill seeing Artorias go all out… but therein lies the problem. We're the strongest knights in Lordran, although that fact applies more so you to you three than me. Our strength has been recognized by virtue of being Lord Gwyn's chosen knights. Literally no one in this kingdom can stand up to us. Excusing those in the possession of the Lord Souls. There isn't anything that should pose a challenge to us. What reason do they have to get stronger? At this point, I'm the only one doing any 'knight work', and it's just odd jobs here and there."_

" _Who can say?" Gough said solemnly. His pause punctuated by the clangorous steel of Ornstein and Artorias. "A new threat may very well appear tomorrow. Ornstein may be fighting for naught but glory, yet Artorias… If he is not readying for a future battle, perhaps he may be trying to impress someone."_

" _Like who?" Ciaran said. Had the area not been filled with the sound of combat, the others might have picked up on the tinge of jealousy her question carried._

 _Gough laughed at her question."Who indeed?"_

" _Pardon the intrusion!" A silver knight appeared before the Four with a salute, bringing the duel to a halt. "Lord Gwyn wishes to speak with all of you!"_

" _Is that all?" Ornstein asked._

" _Yes Sir!" The knight replied._

" _Alright, dismissed." With another salute, the knight left._

" _I guess that makes this one a tie," Ornstein said. Artorias' only response was to sheathe his sword and answer his summons. Ornstein scoffed and followed him out._

"When it used that sword…' Ornstein said after a brief reflection. The Dragonslayer's grip tightened on his spear at the revelation. "...It was like it saw Artorias fight and then completely bastardized his style." He couldn't quite put into words how insulted he was at that. The action was not only an affront to Artorias, but to all of the Four Knights; Ornstein couldn't help but take it personally since this cursed undead thought so little of them as to poorly recreate one of their fighting styles. If that apparition dared show its face again, Ornstein resolved to end it quickly, showing no hint of mercy. Only the ruthlessness an undead thief deserves.

* * *

"...Okay, one more time… Trace on!" Panting and covered in sweat, Shirou activated his one and only magical technique. The magic circuits in his body glowed a bright green as magical energy flowed through them. He placed his hands on the car battery that sat on the table in front of him, the flow of his circuits pouring into the object; knowledge of the object became apparent to Shirou as his reinforcement ran its course. He became acutely aware of the battery's concept of creation, and every material that combined to give it that particular shape and function.

"Now… let's see if I can…" with a grunt of effort, Shirou attempted to alter the composition of the battery. Nothing beyond what he could conceptualize, but a simple increase to its efficiency. After a few minutes, Shirou's magic circuits lost their spark, reverting back to an inert state as he lost his magical glow. He sat back, catching his breath, pleased with whatever result he ended with. Using this reinforcement ability wasn't something he was completely unfamiliar with. His adoptive father had given him a cursory tutoring with this ability, and he often used it to fix various appliances around the school at Issei's request. But he never really used it this much at once. It certainly put a strain on him, but he could definitely feel he was gaining a greater understanding of the fundamentals of reinforcement. According to Rin, he should be able to 'project' the objects he reinforced if he could comprehend the true nature of these objects. Hence his current practice in attempting to ascertain the concept of these items. So far he had worked with an old stereo, a CRT, a typewriter, and the aforementioned car battery. He was nowhere close to truly understanding these objects from the point of their Origin, but so far he had been able to make them sturdier at least. Unfortunately, once he caught his breath, he realized he had no way of testing the efficiency of the car battery he reinforced. In fact, now that his mind questioned it, he wondered why all of this old stuff he toyed around with was in that shed anyway. As he was lamenting his choice of tools, the phone rang.

"Hello, Emiya residence."

"Emiya, it's Tohsaka. What are you doing right now?"

"Tohsaka-san? I was just... practicing magical reinforcement like you suggested."

"Oh? You must be very diligent then."

"I wouldn't really say that-"

"Archer's noticed some suspicious activity all day today. We think it's Caster. You're going to help us confirm this and, if necessary, take her down."

"What?"

"Is there a problem?"

"N-no! I mean, I'd be happy to help, but I just never figured you'd actually ask me."

"Hmph." Shirou could practically see the smug grin that accompanied Rin's dismissive chuckle. "Normally I wouldn't, as someone like you couldn't be of any help other than as a meat shield."

"Uh…"

"But, the Saber class typically has a high resistance to magic. Regardless of your skills, your Servant would definitely be useful in this situation."

"So you don't want me...but you want Saber?"

"That's the gist of it. Although it's not like this won't help you too. At least this way you'll have some idea of how a real Master operates."

"I… guess that makes sense?" Shirou could only assume Rin's odd way of insulting him was meant to push him forward. At least he hoped so, otherwise Rin was just making fun of him there.

"I'm glad you agree. Now, we need to confirm if this activity actually belongs to Caster or someone else, so we're doing reconnaissance first. That means you need to keep your Servant under wraps since you lack the basic ability needed to sustain them in a non physical form."

"That… shouldn't be a problem." Shirou punctuated his sentence with a nervous laugh, as Taiga and Saber still hadn't returned.

"At least you understand the importance of secrecy. I'll be there in half an hour." With a click, the other line cut off. Hanging up the phone, Shirou could only hope that this wasn't too big of a deal. He glanced at the clock. It read 6:30. He mused that Taiga and Saber had been gone for quite a long time, but that wasn't something he was too concerned with at the moment. For now, he needed to get himself ready for when Rin arrived.

* * *

"Okay, so I just need to extend an olive branch to him and ask him to talk. There's definitely nothing weird about a guy asking another guy to talk. Nothing at all…"

"Why would that be odd?"

"Shut the hell up, Rider."

"You should respect your elders. Lots of wisdom with age and all that, heh heh!"

"As if a senile paraplegic has anything worthwhile to say. Whatever you try to tell me I probably already know."

"If you listened to me, you wouldn't have gotten lost on your way to the Emiya residence."

"We're here now, aren't we?"

"Two hours later than you wanted."

"Well if your time is so valuable, why didn't you say anything?"

"My dear Master had command me several times to 'shut up'. The command was so frequent I began to doubt that he could say anything else. I was just following his orders."

"You must think you're so fucking funny. Look, I'm gonna ring the bell now. Just… sit there and… be invisible."

"You needn't worry for me. I am quite content watching you play the sad jester in the tragedy known as your life. Truly, I haven't laughed this much in years!" Shinji grimaced at the comment from the intangible Rider. But, not wanting to waste anymore time, he obnoxiously rang the bell to the Emiya residence. And a brief moment later, Shirou opened the door.

"You're here early, Tohs...Shinji!?"

"Yes, Emiya, it's me. You must be very surprised."

"Yeah, I am! I mean… well... Sorry if this comes off as rude… but what are you doing here?"

"..." Shinji stared at Shirou. He honestly didn't think he would get this far and was at a loss for words. "...What are you doing here?"

"I… live here?"

"Uh, right. I-I knew that. Obviously. Look, Emiya, I know we aren't exactly what one would call 'friends', but that can be changed, you know?"

"Uh… yeah?"

"Yeah. So, in the interest of burying the hatchet, I have appeared to give you the opportunity to ask forgiveness for all the times you wronged me."

"That's not how people make peace," Shinji heard Rider say in his mind.

"Uh-"

"Don't worry Emiya," Shinji continued. "I'll be sure to forgive you for everything if you earnestly apologize. Then you don't have to hide from me anymore and I will deign to talk to you in public."

"I don't think I was ever hiding from you…"

"I'll even permit you to talk to Sakura from time to time."

"I already talk to Sakura."

"Don't remind me," Shinji said through gritted teeth.

"Speaking of her, how is she? She called me about a week ago and said she was sick and wouldn't be in school for a few days."

"Is that what she said?" Shinji said with a hint of actual surprise. "It's bad enough she visits here all the time, but she actually called you?"

"She was really insistent on me not worrying about her and practically begged me not to visit her… I mean, I want her to be happy so I didn't press the issue… but I can't help but worry about her, you know? You're her brother so you can understand, right?"

"Forget Sakura!" Shinji snapped. "She's fine and she doesn't need someone like you bothering her!"

"...Okay…"

Shinji heaved a sigh. "We're getting off topic here, Emiya. We both want the same thing here."

"We do?"

"You just need to admit your faults and everything will be square. It's really simple. Then we can-"

"What are you doing here, Shinji?" Shinji quickly turned around and saw none other than Rin Tohsaka standing behind him.

"Tohsaka!? I… I was…"

"Shinji came here to 'bury the hatchet' and let me know how Sakura is doing."

"Really?" Rin asked, a very suspicious eye examining a nervous Shinji.

"Y-yeah. That's exactly what's happening, Tohsaka." That wasn't why he was here at all, but if Shirou was going to make up an excuse for him, he was going to ride it out as best he could.

"Huh," Rin said. "That's something really out of character for you Shinji. If it's true."

"What can I say? I'm a great guy," Shinji gave a nervous laugh. "Hey, wait, what are you doing here, Tohsaka?"

"I'm helping Shirou study. We're going to the library."

"We are?" Shirou asked.

"You're dating Tohsaka!?" Shinji yelled.

"That's... that's not what I said at all," Rin said.

"I come all the way here, to tell you the fate of my dear sister, but you've already made plans to cheat on Sakura with Tohsaka," Shinji said with a hostile glare. "You make me sick, Emiya."

"Hold on! I'm not cheating on Sakura!"

"So you're cheating on Tohsaka, then?"

"I'm not cheating on anyone!"

"Can you two stop with the idiotic banter?" Rin interjected. "Emiya is too dumb to be in a relationship with anyone, and I'm not going to lower my standards for someone like him. But that's beside the point. We're running out of time, Emiya. We need to hurry."

"Uh, right," Shirou agreed. Ignoring Shinji, the two made way to leave.

"Hurry for what?" Shinji called, quickly taking steps to follow them. "Who cares about school? There are more important things to worry about!"

"I'm sure you have better things to do, Shinji," Rin said back. "So you should go home and leave me alone. Preferably forever." Rin made a hasty step away, Shirou having to break into a brisk jog to keep up with her.

"You don't have to be so harsh, Tohsaka-san," Shirou whispered once they were some ways away.

"In case you forgot, Shinji, somehow, is Rider's Master."

"He is?" It took all of Rin's effort not to facepalm at Shirou's forgetfulness.

"Yes. Now, he probably doesn't know you're a Master too, and it's best to keep it that way."

"Why? He seems to get along well with you, so wouldn't it be better if he helped us?"

"My god, Emiya, either you're as naive as a newborn or the biggest idiot in Japan. Though in your case, I doubt there's a difference. If this is what you call getting along, I'd love to see what you call arguing. Shinji's only interested in helping himself. He'd just as soon stab you in the back if he could get something out of it."

"Shinji's not that bad."

"That settles it," Rin sighed. "You're an idiot. But Shinji'll get bored soon enough. He's got the attention span of a tiny dog. He's probably on his way home already."

"Um, Tohsaka-san, he's still following us."

"What?" Rin turned around, and Shinji was a few places behind them, angrily muttering and grumbling to himself. "Go home, Shinji!"

"I can't do that! I have to make sure Emiya doesn't do anything indecent to you!"

"You're not my keeper, you creep," Rin said through gritted teeth.

"I wouldn't dare do anything like that!" Shirou yelled, feeling the need to defend his character.

"Fine," Shinji said. "If you won't leave of your own will, I'll just have to use my trump card."

"What?" Rin said, eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Emiya."

"...Yeah?"

"Ugh, can't believe I'm saying this…" Shinji took a deep breath in preparation. "...If you come with me, you can come see how Sakura is doing."

"What? Really!? Is she well enough to have visitors? That means she's getting better, right?"

"...Sure."

"You can't be serious," Rin said.

"I've never been to Sakura's house before, now that I think about it… should I bring flowers? No, that's only for people in hospitals…"

"Emiya."

"A fruit basket? That should be fine, right? Man, I don't even know what she was sick with. The flu or something? Is her appetite okay? Has she even been eating?"

"Emiya!"

"Maybe I should prepare a soup for her. I should have enough ingredients at home… but should it be a hearty one or a light one? Should I make enough for us too? Not that I think Fuji-nee would want to eat soup anyway, but if you're making soup-"

"Emiya-kun!"

"Huh?" Shirou turned around and saw Rin looking at him with a small grin that he could tell betrayed a lot more hostility than one would expect at a glance. "Oh, I'm sorry, Tohsaka-san, is something wrong?"

"Of course something's wrong!" She yelled, her face contorting into.a visage of rage. "Do you really think Shinji's telling the truth here?"

"...Yes? Why wouldn't he?"

"Yeah, Tohsaka, why wouldn't I? I'm clearly a stand up guy, but you're too dense to see that, apparently."

"Shut it, Matou. Everyone knows how you treat Sakura, except this guy somehow. You showing even the slightest bit of concern for her is extremely suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Shinji said, glaring at Rin. "I am the model brother, I'll have you know. Sakura is lucky to have me looking out for her! I am shocked and appalled that you would insinuate such ludicrous things about me!" Rin scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Now come on Emiya. Sakura could, like, die at any moment or whatever, so let's go."

"Right," Shirou said as he began to follow Shinji.

"Are you honestly going with him!?" Rin yelled in shock.

"Well, this is important to me," Shirou said. "I haven't seen Sakura in what feels like forever, so I want to make sure she's alright." Shirou didn't catch Shinji's disgusted scoff. "Plus, it's not like you really need me for this right now. Oh, but don't worry, I'll catch up with you later, Tohsaka-san."

"Yeah, later Tohsaka," Shinji said, his mouth contorting into a malicious grin as the two left, leaving Rin both dazed and confused.

"...Oh… my god," Rin said once she gathered her bearings. "I literally cannot believe that happened."

"What's the worst part?" Archer said, materializing next to Rin. "The part where you lost to that so called incompetent Master? Or is it the fact that your love interest discarded you like soiled meats to traipse off with another girl?"

"Love interest!? It's nothing like that!"

"Ah, the latter then. You know what they say, Master: 'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all," he said with a hearty chuckle.

"I didn't lose anything! Not to Shinji, and I definitely didn't lose Emiya!"

"So you don't deny that you want him?"

"I… I mean… why would I..." Rin continued to stammer as her cheeks flushed.

"Ah, to be young and in love. Worry not, Master, you will have your chance."

"Ugh, shut up you stupid Servant! We don't need him, we'll just have to find Caster ourselves!"

"As you wish Master. I live to serve your whims," Archer said with an ostentatious bow. "But I must say, you do not wear jealousy well."

"Just come on!" Rin growled, stomping away. "We're done talking about this!" Chester laughed at his Master's antics and followed her into the city.

* * *

"Man, Sakura sure is lucky to have such a devoted brother."

"...Yeah."

"But is it okay to visit this late? It's almost 9 o'clock. I mean, I wouldn't want to impose, so..."

"It's fine. Yes, everything is going to turn out just fine…" Shinji couldn't help but let out a maniacal giggle as Shirou followed him to what he assumed was the Matou residence.

"Oh, and thanks again for letting me make this soup for her. I hope she likes it. I would like the pot back though, ha ha!" Shinji took a glance back at Shirou. He was carrying a medium sized red pot that currently held a vegetable soup. While he was making it, Shirou offered him a taste. He honestly thought Shirou's cooking was better than the kind you find in most restaurants, but he'd never admit that out loud. Regardless, he definitely wasn't getting that pot back. That soup is gonna taste great.

"You seem really comfortable cooking, Emiya."

"I do cook practically every day."

"Huh. With a big house like that, I'd figure you'd have a servant do all your housework."

"No, that's all me."

"Must be lonely living in a house that big by yourself. I bet beneath your 'nice and friendly' façade you're really crazy and write on the walls in your own blood," Shinji said with a sick chuckle. "At least you don't have to hide your porn."

"Actually I don't live alone," Shirou replied. "Someone else lives with me, but she wasn't there. In fact, she hasn't even been home all day."

"A relative of yours?"

"In a sense. Although she's more like a starving animal."

"Oh, the guy's got jokes!" Shirou chuckled at the perceived compliment, but couldn't see the scowl on Shinji's face.

"You know, your house is really far away."

"Is it now?" Shinji said in mock surprise. "I'm so sorry that I put my house as far away from yours as I could."

"Not that I mind or anything!" Shirou gave a nervous chuckle. Shinji didn't respond. "So... is this how we get to your house? I didn't realize we'd have to go through the park."

"Yup."

"It looks like it's getting pretty foggy. Wonder if it's gonna rain soon. I hope not; I still have to bring in the laundry." Shinji gave a noncommittal grunt in response, his mind wandering as Shirou kept rambling about random nonsense Shinji didn't care about. He didn't really walk through this park often, so the scent of verdure was a foreign experience to his senses that were accustomed only to a musty old manor. If he were a more nature conscious fellow, he would have described this little excursion as pleasant. But, being Shinji, he would only describe his current situation as a nuisance he wanted to get over with as quickly as possible, much like everything else. To his relief, his path happened upon the purple clad Einzbern girl, sitting on a bench. Her eyes were closed and she humming a cheery tune to herself, as if she were in some kind of dream.

"And there was this one time where Fuji-nee wanted to eat only rice omelettes. Breakfast lunch a dinner, for like, two weeks. I had to buy eggs, like, every day. Eggs can be really expensive you know. It was good thing I had all that money saved up from-"

"Emiya." At least now he can stop listening to Shirou's inane prattling.

"Hm?"

"There's someone who'd like to meet you."

"Is Sakura in this park? Is she well enough to be here?"

"It's not fucking Sakura, okay!?" Shinji sighed. "Hey, Einzbern. I brought him just like I said." The girl in question ceased her hum and opened her eyes. Her gaze met the one she had been hoping to see since she learned of his existence. A vortex of emotions spun in violent turbulence within her heart when Illya finally saw this mysterious, elusive creature. Anger at how he had stolen her father. Wonder at what his life had been like. Sorrow at why he had been chosen over her. Relief that Shinji actually brought him to her. Offended that he seemed so casual. Questioning what it would be like to have a brother. Hope that, just maybe, they could have a sibling relationship. Denial that she could ever reconcile with him, too hurt by what her father- their father- had done. Fascination at his appearance: his short, red hair; his black and grey jacket and jeans, the out of place pot he was carrying, his confused expression as he looked at her. None of her thoughts betrayed by the polite smile she regarded him with. Mostly, though, she felt excitement. Her time had finally come. She was meeting with him. The last remaining link to the malefactor known as Kiritsugu Emiya.

"Is this her, Shinji?" The Matou nodded. "And, uh… who is she?"

"I must say, it is a great pleasure to meet you, Shirou Emiya," she said, rising to her feet and giving a demure curtsy. Her small smile brightened an grew at their meeting. Their encounter was no mere dream or flight of fancy; it was actually, finally happening.

"...Likewise?" was all Shirou could say.

"My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern, daughter of Irisviel von Einzbern and Kiritsugu Emiya."

"Huh? Kiritsugu Emiya…? Wait, what?"

"I suppose that makes me your sister." To her, the notion was absurd, but just saying the word, the concept of being someone's sister tickled her. Yet it served as a reminder of Kiritsugu's betrayal.

"Sister…? But… dad's been dead for five years… and his health kept deteriorating… so…" Illya giggled in response.

"I assure you, Shirou, Kiritsugu Emiya is, without a doubt, my biological father."

"I… that's really… wow…"

"Do you not believe me?" Illya said, brow furrowing in confusion and slight irritation.

"No! No, I believe you… something in your eyes makes me think you're telling the truth. It's just…" Shirou sighed. He put down the pot he was holding and brought a hand to his head. "I can't believe he never said anything."

"And why would he?" Illya questioned, a harsh tone appearing in her voice.

"I don't know… but, there are a lot of things I don't know, things he never told me."

Illya shook her head. "We were a happy family living in Germany until ten years ago, when he left me. I vividly remember the last time I saw him."

"Ten years…" it was a memory buried in Shirou's mind. Death as far as he could see, screams echoing around him, fire consuming all. And yet, he was saved thanks to the efforts of one man. "I guess something could have happened…" Shirou's contemplative look twisted to one of confusion. "I'm sorry, but did you say 'until ten years ago'?"

"Indeed. That… miscreant left me when I was a young girl of eight."

"...You look like you're eight now…" Shirou involuntarily muttered. The girl… Illya, he learned, stood, her grin replaced with a stern frown, glaring right at him. He found it slightly unsettling, but he supposed that was to be expected. "Shinji, I got to ask: how long have you known… Illya?" Shirou turned around gauge his response. But Shinji was nowhere to be seen. And neither was his pot of soup.

"Do not trouble yourself with Mr. Matou. We are only acquainted due to a chance encounter. I am more interested in you, Shirou. What has your life been like, living with my father?"

"Um… it was fine?"

"Fine?" Illya repeated. "Fine... fine, he says. Fine," her tone grew more and more indignant as she continued. "Yes, yes, of course it was. Fine as well as dandy, no doubt. This country is Kiritsugu's homeland, after all. Of course he would want to come back. He could never have a perfect life with us… not with everything that was happening at the time."

"I… don't think that's the case…"

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Illya spat. "Having lived with him all this time. I bet you had a great father-son bond. Tell me, Shirou, what was it like when he died? Did it upset you? Did it pain your heart?"

"Well… yeah. I was really sad about-"

"Of course you were. How horrible it must be for a child to witness their parent's death, knowing that they will never see them again."

"Um…"

"I didn't know he had died until I came here. All this time, I held on to a sliver of hope that he would miraculously come back. That I would…" She sniffed, her red eyes brimming with tears. "...That I would see him again. That we could be a family again. But, here he was, dead for five years. And during that time he was alive, he clearly cast me out of his life and wanted nothing more to do with me… I was a fool."

"Hey, you're not a fool! It'd be stranger not to hope for that, I think. I'd do the same if I were in your shoes..."

"But you didn't have to. No… you were here, living your picturesque family life."

Illya was shaking now, tears freely flowing down her porcelain cheeks. Shirou wanted to say something to his newly discovered, ostensibly older than she looks sister, but the words seemed to die in his throat.

"It hurts," the girl said. "It hurts to see you. I cannot help but think of what could have been. What my family could have been. Looking at you… it's... it's as if a wound I thought closed has been opened, and all the pain I suffered has returned tenfold."

"I… I'm sorry-"

"I don't want your apologies! They can't change what happened! Nothing will ever change the past! I... I want closure. I want to be healed. I want…"

Shirou's empathized with this girl. Losing your parents at such a young age… He could not imagine the heartache she felt, her father up and leaving her. Had fate turned out differently, this could totally have been him. He had to wonder if he would feel how she did, were their positions reversed. And the thought scared him. If there was anything he could do to help her, he would do it. It was the least he could do, and, of course, he wanted to do more than that. If anyone should be happy, Shirou at least thought this girl deserved it. "What? What do you want?"

"I want you to die."

It was a simple command, one that the Servant readily followed. Before Shirou could ask Illya to repeat herself, the Berserker blinked into existence faster than Shirou could perceive. Effortlessly, he was lifted by his collar and his faceless assailant came clear into his view. The shock this boy held in his eyes did not go unnoticed by the Berserker, nor did his rapid breathing or heart rate: telltale signs of fear. It was a shame, that a tangentially related character had to face retribution for the affronts of another. But, his Master wished for him to die, so die this one shall.

"A-a Servant?" Shirou whispered. Berserker was unsure if his Master heard his statement. Was he another Master in this war? Is his Servant nearby? It did not matter to the Berserker; this boy was going to die anyway, and he feared no new combatant.

"Take it slow, Berserker," Illya said. "I want him to suffer." In his past, the Berserker would usually take down his foes with a display of overwhelming, superior force. Taking things slow was not how he, nor any of the Knights, his memories recalled, operated. Yet, again, his Master wished it, so instead of pulverizing the boy's body into the earth, he opted to throw him against a tree. He hit it with a loud thud, and collapsed on the ground. The Berserker approached slowly and drew his sword. The boy stumbled as he tried to regain his footing. If he were to take it slow, perhaps he should cut off his limbs individually? Dismemberment was a sound tactic: he would regularly take it upon himself to sever the limbs of large creatures such as dragons or demons… but to carve a mere boy like that seemed gauche and disrespectful. But, a Knight has his duty. The Berserker raised his sword to commit the deed. Several swings and it would be over, though no doubt the boy would be dead long before he finished.

The air let loose a cry as the Berserker's greatsword cut through.

"Berserker?" Illya said. "What was that?" She had seen it. He didn't do anything about it because he didn't care to. His Master worried about him, he surmised. The edge of his sword embedded itself in the ground, narrowly missing it's intended target, whose life was no doubt flashing before his eyes. The Berserker released his sword, needing his usable arm to pull out the arrow that lodged itself in his neck. The arrowhead was coated in a thick, purple substance; poison, no doubt. Unfortunately for its owner, such underhanded methods would not work on him. This is what it meant to 'take it slow': he had missed on purpose when the arrow hit. Perhaps this was some kind of joke on his part. He hadn't regained enough of himself to determine that. He was simply following an order.

The Berserker grabbed his sword and backstepped, dodging the flurry of arrows that flew from the side. Once enough distance was between them, a girl ran to the boy.

"Shirou!" she cried. "Shirou, are you okay!?"

"Y-yeah Tohsaka-san… I'm… argh…" he winced in pain as the girl helped him to his feet, but he fell down again, drifting into unconsciousness. Berserker made an evasive maneuver again as a hail of arrows rained on where he was just standing. He retreated to his Master's side as another dropped from the sky.

"I'd say love saves the day again," the newcomer said, adjusting his hat, the moonlight accentuating his plastic grin. "But your stalker tendencies are quite unbecoming, Master."

"Shut up, Archer!" The girl left the boys side and stood behind her Servant. "You can save the jokes until after we defeat these clowns."

"And to think we would come face to face with the Abysswalker himself." Archer's Master noted the never before anxiety hidden in his statement. If the ever joking Archer was hesitant, then this Abysswalker was serious business.

"Oh?" Illya said, a bit surprised that her Servant's identity was known by this sneering jester. "And who might these two be?"

"You can drop the veneer of politeness, Einzbern," the girl said. Illya pouted in response. "You and your Berserker are just a stepping stone to me winning this war."

"Aren't you the haughty one," Illya said. "But reckless abandon will do you more harm than good. Especially if you underestimate your foe. Berserker," Illya said, nodding at her Servant. Berserker grunted, the extent of his verbal abilities. A straightforward fight was much more enjoyable, and better played to his strengths. He readied his blade. The wind howled as Berserker dashed at them. Archer quickly grabbed his Master and leapt into the air, firing arrows as he ascended.

Berserker swatted them away like they were nothing. He readied his sword again and leapt after them. Archer's master clicked her tongue and procured a set of jewels. She threw them down. Berserker attempted to knock them aside, but as his blade made contact, they released a powerful surge of energy, blowing the Servant back to the ground. Archer and his Master landed back by the boy.

"Try not to get caught like that again," Rin whispered. "I don't have enough of those on me to take down a Berserker."

"Well that's going to be a problem," Archer said.

"What?"

"This guy… Artorias the Abysswalker they call him. He was the one corrupted that I told you about earlier."

"That's him!?"

"Yeah… According to what I've heard, he was stupidly powerful before he went to Oolacile… so who knows how the Abyss changed him. Heh, we sure have our work cut out for us." Archer quickly fired two more arrows at Berserker. As if taunting him, the Servant allowed the arrows to hit him, shrugging them off like they were naught but a gentle breeze. "...This won't be fun. See if you can get your lover to bring in his Servant, would you Master? I'll distract him as best I can." Archer reached into his pocket and pulled out a black orb-like object. He threw it at Berserker. Before it made contact, an arrow flew through the air, striking the object and releasing an explosion. Berserker halted for the slightest moment. The next instant, he jumped backwards in front of his Master, taking the full brunt of another flurry of arrows that was headed right for her.

"Berserker!" his Master cried. The Berserker howled as the arrows connected, not because they hurt, but because this Archer had the gall to attack his Master. Wisps of darkness coalesced around the Berserker, gathering into pools that bleed into the ground underneath him. This underhanded attack made the Berserker growl and convulse with rage. Even Gough was honorable enough to attack head on. He had been holding back to gauge his ability, but no more. This one… this one would have a death befitting a coward like him.

The mad knight charged at Archer, just like he hoped. He would have to make his next few moves very carefully, lest he end up cleaved in twain. He deftly backstepped, keeping close to his foe, but far enough away that he could evade and not be taken by a surprise burst of speed. The perfect distance to keep his attention. Another slash, another evade. Archer fired more arrows. They hit their target, but did nothing to halt his momentum. If Archer had the sense to frown, he would.

"Looks like I'll have to play the long game, then."

"Come on Shirou, wake up!" Rin said as she held a red stone to his chest. He didn't move. "This is an A-rank mystic code! Why isn't it working!?" Not seeing any other options, Rin promptly slapped Shirou several times, commanding that he return to consciousness.

"Ugh… ah… ow, Tohsaka-san, that hurts…" Shirou said weakly as he came back to the land of the living.

"No time to lay down, Emiya! Archer's fighting Berserker and losing; bring Saber here now!"

"Uh… she's not here."

"Then Summon her!"

"You know I can't summon her, right?"

"Then use a command seal! We're gonna die at this rate!"

"How do I use them?"

"You can't be serious!"

"Do I just say 'Saber get over here now'" or something? How would she even here me?" And, in a convenient gust of wind, the Servant in question appeared before them.

"No need to speculate, Shirou, I am already here." Rin quickly grabbed Shirou's hand. Somehow, he hadn't used any of his command seals to bring Saber forward. "I have heard your cry for help by means of our covenant, and have answered your call for aid."

"Well get over there and fight Berserker!" Rin said. Shirou nodded his assent to the request. Saber looked at the fight, analyzing the situation: Archer narrowly dodging swings from a greatsword, as tangible darkness swirled around his adversary. Archer might be okay for now, but he was quickly losing steam, and a single misstep would spell death.

"I shall fight for you, Shirou," she said. She stepped forward, neither Archer or Berserker paying attention to her, though the little girl in purple regarded her with an angry expression. Calming herself, Saber brought her left hand to her chest. Sparks of electricity gathered around her fist. She raised her hand, the sparks taking and holding the shape of a bolt of lightning. Taking aim, she hurled the bolt at Berserker, the shot striking true.

Berserker looked at the newest attacker, dropping all pretense of attacking the Archer.

"Gods above, it took you long enough!" Archer yelled. Berserker paid no attention to that insect. Rather, the creature before him consumed his thoughts.

A miracle.

This creature had just cast a miracle on him. The same miracle Ornstein taught the knights in order to better fight dragons. He had been struck by this same miracle many times fighting Ornstein, and the name came to him instantly, a memory forcibly brought to the forefront of his mind: Great Lightning Spear.

Why does it know this? It couldn't be a knight of the land, as it would be wearing the easily identifiable silver armor. So why? Why would it know how to perform this miracle? And it was particularly strong too: strong enough that Artorias felt it sting, unlike the piddling arrows the Archer tired to fell him with. The question remained, and it hurt Artorias not to know. A piercing pain shot through his head at this unknown, and he howled.

"Ah!" Illya fell to her knees as a sympathetic pain shot through her head. Whatever this Servant did, it had affected Artorias greatly, not so much physically, but mentally. She clutched her head and tried to bear the pain.

He wasn't sure why, but this question needed to be answered immediately. He was so close to knowing, the answer formless, but right in front of him. Looking for anything in the formless Dark was a futile effort, but it took all his might to try. But he couldn't grasp his answer. Whatever clutches the Abyss had on him, it was actively blocking his memory and reasoning on this matter, and he could hardly take it. He howled again, a surge of Darkness bellowing out from him. Archer, who thought he was a safe distance away had the full force of the efflux attack him, knocking him back. Saber held her invisible weapon at the ready.

"Ah! What!?" Rin clutched her hand and braced herself against the tree. Whatever attack Berserker just unleashed had just tried to attack her as well, feeling its effect on Archer through their link on her command seals. It wasn't crippling, but it did catch her by surprise. Illya wasn't so fortunate, now lying on the ground and wailing in pain. Berserker wildly swung at Saber, fighting the Servant and the pain in his head. Saber carefully rolled out of the way from his strikes, taking in all of his movements. Whatever answer he sought, he wasn't getting it, and he couldn't help but fight this clumsily, as though he were a puppet of some inept ventriloquist.

"...What's happening?" Shirou said as he saw his sister cry out in pain.

"I'm… I'm not sure. Either Einzbern has something wrong with her summoning, which I doubt… or something from her Servant is affecting her. Considering how he managed to hit me… it's probably the latter."

"Can't we do something?"

"What? Why would you-" Rin was cut off as Illya, stood to her feet, her hands and the sides of her head covered in blood from clutching herself too tightly.

"Berserker!" She yelled as the Servants moved. "I command you to regain your memory!" And, under the impulse of his Master's command seal, the pain in his head vanished, as did the Darkness around him. Illya released a breath she didn't realize she held and fell to the ground. She sighed. At least that pain was gone.

The answer was so simple, Artorias was ashamed he hadn't realized it before. If it wasn't taught… it had to be stolen. And what creatures could steal such miracles so effectively without the years of training required to build the proper faith to utilize such a talent?

The creature before him, the Servant Saber, was none other than a Cursed Undead.

* * *

Some people disagreed with my proclamation of the best Saber. Little do they know, that isn't even one of my real controversial opinion. So let's get that out of the way.

1\. Souls Trilogy Ranking: Dark Souls II, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Dark Souls III

2\. Five Best Girls in the Nasuverse: Shiki Ryougi, Arcueid Brunestud, Ayaka Sajyou, Satsuki Yumizuka, Touko Aozaki

3\. Nasu, give me an official English release of the Tsukihime and Fate/Stay Night visual novels. This isn't an opinion, but I know he's reading this, so hook me up bro

Man, I could have been playing Monster Hunter World instead of doing this shit.


	11. Chapter 11

The situation was honestly laughable. Fate had a truly sick sense of humor. Due to the light of his Master, slowly burning away the tendrils of the Abyss, he had begun to recall vestiges of his memory. It had been… a long time since he was sent to fight the Abyss.

Since he failed his duty.

He had braved the Abyss before, but that fragment was nothing like seeing the real thing.

It was a deceptively simple assignment: go to the land of Oolacile, rescue the princess Dusk, and contain the spread of the Abyss, killing any spawned beasts in the process. And it seemed as though he would succeed in his mission. Until he saw the true face of the Abyss. Its monstrous progenitor proved a difficult foe. Even with all his expertise and the aid of his canine companion, he was unable to overcome the father of the Abyss. It was all he had to ensure the wolf was able to escape. He could have asked any of the other Knights to accompany him, but he foolishly went alone, aside from his hunting wolf. Proving victorious against the Abyss' spawn had caused him to grow complacent and arrogant in the face of danger, which ultimately cost him his life and his agency.

Arriving at Oolacile was easy. Few creatures were met on the path, and those they did encounter were gleefully chased away by Sif. Furthermore, a bandit or highwayman would need a death wish to even think of impeding one of the Four Knights. The city itself was in terrible condition when Artorias arrived. The buildings were in shambles and the earth had been torn, giving the land an unnatural amount of uneven cliffs. It was practically deserted, save for a few survivors huddled together, furtive and vulnerable, in a forest outside the city proper, so Artorias assumed that many had fallen prey to the Abyss' principalities. Those that remained had employed the magics Oolacile was known for to contrive a strange beast, amalgamated from several lesser creatures, to protect them. Artorias had warned them to flee, as he knew the abomination would not last long against the forces of the Abyss.

Trekking further into the city revealed the true extent of the Abyss' influence. Darkness swallowed everything in its path, until the deepest reaches of the city were nothing more than a chasm not even light could reach. And there he found the cause of all the destruction. Manus, the Father of the Abyss.

Howling and raving like a mad beast about it's lair, a gargantuan creature the likes of which Artorias could only imagine bounded within a large cave. It moved erratically, leaping and writhing in a way its form should not be able to. The sight of it even caused Sif to show fear.

The moment they entered its sanctum it attacked, as if on instinct. No regard for what it was fighting, it swung a giant club like object like a twig, slamming it into whatever was in its path. This was Artorias first mistake. The instant Manus was upon him, he raised his shield to block, and Sif went into action, just as they had practiced many times before. A successful block with his greatshield, leading into a swing with his sword, with Sif attacking from behind. But, when his sword made contact, the beast made no appearance of flinching or even registering the hit at all. It just kept swinging and swinging. A single blow from the monster was manageable, but the intensity and speed of the creature made blocking a bad option. At the rate it went, he would have been backed into a corner. And unfortunately, Artorias' particular fighting style never played much on evasiveness. So he pressed on with his defense. The blows from the creature put many sizeable dents in his greatshield, but he persisted. There was no method to the creature's onslaught, so Artorias could not determine the optimal time to retaliate. He was only able to counterattack when Sif's particular offense drew Manus' enmity. The way Manus moved required all of Artorias' concentration; one miscalculation would cost him his life. And that is precisely what happened. Even with all his caution, Manus landed a decisive blow.

While Artorias guarded, Sif was attacking from the rear. The Progenitor's many red eyes flared in rage as it turned to strike the wolf. Artorias took the moment to thrust with his greatsword. Yet, right as he was to strike, Manus turned and held out it's arm, taking the full of the attack with its hand-like appendage. It was too late for Artorias to redirect the blow; the second it was impaled, it gripped the Abysswalker by his arm. It lifted him up like a doll and flailed him about, before throwing him against a wall. Artorias was able to rise again, but he registered a great pain in his left arm and found that he was unable to move it. Manus then removed the sword he was impaled with and tossed it aside. The downhill battle had gone from bad to worse as he was disarmed, in more ways than one. At that point, there was only one way to proceed if he were to make it out of this.

Artorias whistled, signalling to Sif they would have to resort to the emergency maneuver. With all his strength, he hurled his shield at Manus. The beast swatted it aside, as planned, giving Artorias the needed moment to leap above the creature. Sif followed through with the plan: as the shield struck its target, the wolf ran to the greatsword. Taking it in its mouth, he tossed it to the airborne Artorias. Even with his arm broken, Artorias caught the sword and used gravity to his advantage, plunging down on Manus, striking directly in one of its eyes. He jumped off with a retreating swipe, leaving the creature clawing at its face. Artorias and Sif moved quickly on this advantage, striking as a unit: Sif attacked the legs and back, biting and swiping as fiercely as he could manage, while Artorias leapt more, taking out as many of its eyes as he could. Just as they were gaining an edge, Manus pulled out another trick. It took its club and began a mad chant, malefic energies gathering around. The tenebrous cavern seemed to grow impossibly more dark than it already was. Dark magic rained down upon them all. Artorias had to act quickly. While he had a pendant in his possession that repelled the Abyss' magics, Sif had no such protection, a severe oversight on his part.

There was no way he would allow Sif to fall prey to the Abyss. The wolf was his only friend and companion outside of the Knights, and he'd be damned before he let him die because of his negligence. He activated the pendant and jumped to the wolf's side, shielding them from the Dark that rained on them. And, as the magics dissipates, Manus swung at Artorias, who in his desperation to protect Sif, had made the fatal mistake of showing his back to the creature, and was knocked forcefully into the wall again. Only his arm had been broken before, but he was sure that all his other bones were broken then. There was no chance left at that point. Manus laughed as it prepared its spell again. Artorias knew he was going to die there. He activated his pendant and threw it to the wolf. He wasn't going to make it out, but his companion could. He used the last of his strength to command the wolf to flee. It stared at him longingly, but ran at Artorias insistence. The Abysswalker certainly did not feel good about his situation. He almost defeated the creature, but was about to lose his life for want of an easy to create pendant. The last sensation he fully recognized was the unmistakable pain of Abyss magics attacking his body and his soul.

He was unsure what happened next. His memory had failed him after that. All he knew was that the Dark had somehow robbed him of his will, sensations, and even his consciousness. He had no control over his own body, and his mind was lost. And yet, even as the Abyss corrupted him to his soul, he had some vague awareness of what went on around him, as though he was of the Abyss himself. He had wandered aimlessly about, bringing an end to whatever being came his way. And through this perverse connection, he gained an understanding of what Manus felt.

Hatred.

Hatred and contempt for everything. Especially humanity and the undead who try to amass as much humanity as possible. He could not fathom why this was the case, but Manus used Artorias as its puppet to slay any undead that wandered too close. And he cut them down, battered and broken as his body was. They came in droves, hundreds upon thousands of undead crossed his path, and he slayed them all until they gave up or went Hollow.

All except one. A small, nondescript undead. Unassuming and worthless, just like all the ones before it. He didn't think much of it at the time, but that was because he could not. Yet, somehow, his body was slain and his soul rent from its corporeal prison. He could not tell what next transpired, but the next thing he was completely aware of was the sight of his current Master.

And that brought him to his current state. Facing off against another Undead as if he was doomed to do so for eternity. He took another glance at the Archer, who now was on his feet, breathing staggered. The Berserker's Master was collapsed on the ground. Now that his mental faculties were operating properly, he assessed his opponents. The other Masters seemed to only be watching. He could easily kill them all, but the safety of his Master took priority over that. A shot from the Archer could end her life. He was quick to come with an idea. Years as a Knight had hones his reflexes for combat, so his plan would be easy to pull off. He readied his sword. Saber made a motion to respond in kind. The Abysswalker ran toward Saber.

"Watch yourself!" Archer called, shooting a series of arrows at him instead of his Master. Just as he predicted. With a burst of speed, Artorias thrust his sword at Saber, who made an emergency attempt at a guard. The arrows missed their mark by a slight margin. Though the Undead's weapon was invisible, Artorias felt the clang of metal as he easily broke its defense. That brief moment was all he needed. A powerful slash cut through the Undead's armor, followed by Artorias stabbing it through the chest.

"Saber!" Shirou cried as his Servant was lifted in the air and effortlessly tossed aside. The Servant hit the ground, dissipating into wisps of its soul. Archer stood dumbfounded, his smirk belying his anxiety. With Saber soundly defeated, he had no chance against the Berserker.

Artorias was satisfied with the result. The rest of them cowered as humans tended to. Now he could attend to his Master. He gently lifted Illya, making sure he held her securely. He gazed at the boy, the Undead's Master, he assumed, as he watched the efflux of souls from what used to be his Servant. The girl and her Servant were making no move toward him, as they were more keen on watching the boy themselves. Artorias mentally scoffed. If he never saw an Undead again, it would be too soon. Manus' grip on him still caused him to see red in their presence; the very thought of those creatures making his stomach turn. Another glance confirmed that neither the girl nor the Archer had intent to follow, so he steadily made his way back to his Master's abode, taking care not to agitate the unconscious girl.

With the Berserker finally gone, Rin let out a scoff. "To think Saber would lose that easily. But, I shouldn't be surprised, having this guy as her Master." Shirou held a blank stare as he looked at where Saber's body used to be.

"N...No way…" Shirou muttered.

"Hey, come on now. If you aren't good enough to beat another Servant, then of course you're going to die. That's just how this War works." Shirou didn't respond to Rin's comment. "You should be glad you have your life. The way Einzbern was eyeing you, I'm surprised she didn't have Berserker attack you directly." Rin smugly flipped her hair. "Of course, if they tried that, I already had a plan to stop them. But my point stands. I'm not sure why, but I think the Einzbern girl has a particular interest in you. Did you kill her dog or something?"

"... Sister."

"Huh?"

"She said she was my sister."

"That's impossible. First off, you two look nothing alike. That's a bit extreme, even if you account for having a different parent."

"I don't think she was lying, Tohsaka-san. She mentioned my dad by name. And I was adopted, you know?"

"So?"

"He was acquainted with very few people, and I'm sure I met everyone he knew after we moved here, so I doubt some random girl would know that much about him unless she met him before I did."

Rin gave a dismissive pout as she turned away. "Be that as it may, she's still an Einzbern. Everyone knows that their family is comprised entirely of homunculi."

"What does that mean?"

"They're all basically dolls. There's a whole explanation behind it, but that's not important right now. Not that you would understand, anyway. In any case, she's probably just trying to provoke you."

Shirou sat in silence. While Rin did have a point, he still believed Illya had a connection to Kiritsugu. And whatever happened between them seemed to be negatively affecting her.

"I can't just leave her," Shirou said.

"Are you kidding me?" Rin yelled. "She literally tried to kill you less than five minutes ago."

"Yeah, but that's only because-"

"Don't try to psychoanalyze her! No Freudian excuse negates her from being a Master! You were destined to fight!" Rin heaved a sigh. "Whatever you think her deal is, you can't help her. Even attempting to is suicide. Berserker will attack you on sight. You saw how he wiped the floor with your Servant. You don't have a chance."

"But still, I have to try."

Rin shook her head. "Without a Servant, you have no place in the War. And with Einzbern openly hostile to you, we need to get you somewhere safe. We need to see that fake priest."

"Tohsaka-san, I said-"

"Archer. Take care of him." With a shrug, Archer quick stepped toward Shirou. In a blink, Archer landed a punch right in Shirou's gut, and a hook on his jaw. He hit the ground with a thud, knocking him unconscious.

"Hope I didn't hurt him too bad," Archer said, lifting Shirou.

"A punch like that is the only way to get through to guys like him."

"I would think a lady like yourself would abhor such violence."

Rin rolled her eyes. "Let's just get to the church already."

"As you command, Master."

* * *

Though returning to his Master's castle would be an effortless feat, Artorias took great care to ensure Illya returned in one piece. He was still unsure as to what transpired with her; she spoke a phrase and the magic that yoked them gave him clarity of thought. But it harmed the girl. His only conjecture was the Dark he was still tainted with retaliated against Illya. He would have to find out more from his Master when she awoke. He trekked through the wood leading to the castle, taking a moment to relish the peace of the early winter verdure. Yet even in the midst of his tranquil walk he felt the presence of another, following some ways behind. It didn't seem hostile, so Artorias ignored it. Until it suddenly jumped in front of him. There, lance in hand and clad in golden armor stood his fellow Knight.

"It's been a while, Artorias." The Abysswalker looked at the Dragonslayer. "It's good to see you," Ornstein continued. The last time they had met, he flew into a blind rage, relentlessly attacking his fellow Knight. Looking back, he felt shame for his actions. Never would he thought himself one to attack his allies, especially for a reason he didn't even know. Whatever was causing his rage remained a mystery to him. Perhaps it had something to do with why his Master referred to him as 'Berserker'. But that was an issue to confront at a later date. At this moment, seeing his compatriot, again, he felt something he hadn't in a long time: relief. Artorias nodded at Ornstein's comment. It was good to see a familiar face. "I know I don't need to say it, but I'm not here to fight." Even after their previous meeting, Ornstein's voice carried a soft compassion. Artorias nodded again. "I'm supposed to be looking for the Caster, but I happened upon your battle instead. To think that we would be plagued by the Cursed Undead even here. I faced against one earlier, and you faced one just now." The Dragonslayer's hands clenched into tight fists. "But the thing that gets me… those worthless dregs have the gall to bastardize what we were known for. I killed one that used a sword similar to yours, trying to emulate your skills. And very poorly at that. Then I see another, mangling the miracle I created." Ornstein let out a sigh. "Makes me want to strangle them for eternity. I'd have scores of them impaled on my lance if they didn't reappear every time you defeated one." Artorias grunted. The Undead were a problem that didn't have a solution. Illya began to stir in Artorias' arm; she was beginning to regain consciousness.

"You sure have taking a liking to your Master," Ornstein said, eyeing the girl. Under the helmet, Artorias could not tell what the Dragonslayer was feeling. "I will say, it is very… odd, that a child was able to bring you into this world. Though I say this as one who is quite unfamiliar with the nature of sorceries. That was the Scaleless' domain I belive… and you know how I feel about that one." Artorias made a low grumbling noise. Ornstein decided to interpret that as a chuckle. "You haven't come across either of our other Knightly companions, have you?" Artorias shook his head. "I see. I doubt Gough could be brought here under any title other than Archer, and you fought against that one not too long ago. They definitely wouldn't be Caster either. So that just leaves assassin... though I doubt Ciaran is here. If she was, she would have sought us out, or you at least, her Master be damned." Artorias had to agree. Ciaran was the headstrong type. "What do you think they'd say if they saw us here?"

Artorias pondered the question. His memory was quickly returning, and his time with the Knights were some of the first. Gough would probably be more interested in the history of this world than the War itself, letting the two of them fight like they always do. 'Is this not one of your training exercises?' he'd say, felling any other Servant that came upon them.

"Ciaran would probably kill all the Masters before we even had a chance to fight." Artorias agreed. Then, he thought, she would go about collecting various souvenirs and memorabilia. One wouldn't think it by looking at her, but she was always fond of bringing something back from her travels to commemorate her time there. The Dragonslayer chuckled lightly.

"The two of them were something else. I, for one, am quite ready this War so we can all go home. This place is... problematic." Artorias gave as questioning a look he could manage. "Oh, you must be wondering what is it I'd wish for. I thought it was obvious: for us to return back to being Knights together. Though of course I have my own desires... wouldn't you wish for the same thing?" In truth, Artorias had forgotten the victor in this War was granted a wish, both the Servant and Master. As such, he did not really have an answer. He would love to be with his comrades in arms again… but if pressed at this moment, he'd wish for his body to be fully restored. Using his right hand for swordplay still felt uncomfortable. Being able to talk would be nice, too. "Think about it, Artorias! We have so much more to accomplish! A long time to serve the King and Anor Londo as a whole. If you were there when…" Ornstein quickly trailed off, heaving a heavy sigh. "I just want us to be together again. You understand, right?" Artorias grunted. He wasn't stupid. Something must have happened when he was… incapacitated. Due to his failure. Ornstein believed if he was there, whatever catastrophe alluded to would have been avoided. Yet another reason for him to feel guilty. Illya was stirring even more now, which did not escape Ornstein's notice. "Whatever the case, it seems having her as your Master is only benefiting you. She is helping you come around to your old self." Ornstein placed a hand on Artorias' shoulder. "Look, you can't blame yourself for what happened at Oolacile. None of us, not even the King, knew what was going to be we did, then-" Artorias backed away. No matter what empty words the Dragonslayer gave, he knew he only had himself to blame. "...I can only hope you forgive yourself in time." Ornstein gazed into the distance. "But it seems my own Master is calling me." The venom in Ornstein's voice did not go unnoticed. "The only thing worse than the Undead is this man who thinks he can control me. If it weren't for those damnable seals, I'd have driven my lance through him long ago. If you see him, don't hold back. We will talk again soon, friend." Ornstein took a step back, and with a leap disappeared into the foliage.

Ornstein's words were true. By the nature of this War, they would meet again. Artorias hoped that they could at least fight as allies before they met as enemies. He looked at the small girl in his arm. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

"Berserker…? Did… did you kill Shirou?" Artorias shook his head. He wasn't sure the emotion on Illya's face was relief or disappointment. "I appreciate you thinking of my well-being. It would not do to have me perish this early. I suppose this only means I need to have a conversation with brother dearest in the near future." The Abysswalker was glad that his Master was unharmed. The Dragonslayer was a matter to be dealt with later. He had his Master to think about now. He walked on, Illya in tow.

* * *

" _Perhaps you've seen it, maybe in a dream… A murky forgotten land. A place where souls may mend your ailing mind."_

 _She found herself gazing out to the sea, the calm waves highlighted by the sun on the horizon did nothing to assuage her worries. She knew not how she arrived here. She knew nothing. Not her reason for coming here, not where she was before. The only thing she had was her name, and that she now counted herself among the scores of Undead. The words of the old woman were still in her mind._

" _Oh my! Your face. The face of the curse. It's an Undead. An Undead has come to play." She was going to interject, but the old woman continued. "They all end up here, all the ones like you." She assumed she meant Undead. And if this woman could tell by her face, then she must look pretty ghastly. "You're finished. You'll go Hollow. Hollows prey upon men, feast on their souls. This is the fate of the cursed."_

 _Is this what the woman meant? Does going Hollow make you lose your sanity? Supposedly the act of death and rebirth took their toll psychologically. At least, that's how she had the curse explained to her. Which meant that if she died, she'd be one step closer to going Hollow. She didn't feel particularly dead, though. She still felt a need to breathe, at least. She passed by a few Hollow that attacked her. When she slew them, she absorbed their souls. They would come back, of course. That is not dead which can eternal lie. That would mean that she would come back if she died. But how? And where? And after how long? Speculating on these matters didn't help her at all. She wanted concrete answers. The only other things the woman said was that souls may mend her ailing mind, that they keep her from going Hollow, and that all Undead that pass here are looking to break the curse. When she first made it to this seaside village, she came across a particularly hollow looking blacksmith. Or at least he claimed such. He had been locked out of the house he stored his tools in and therefore could not prove his smithing skills. He was pretty angry about there was the shop keep, looking only to peddle his wares. Since she didn't have any money, they didn't really have much to say to each other. The only other being in the dilapidated buildings was the cat, Sweet Shalquoir. It had a snarky tongue and talked in cryptic ways, never giving a straight answer to anything. It clearly knew what was going on in this land, but talking to it just made her more confused. Just as she was about to give up on this town, she spied a woman dressed in green, staring at the sea. She didn't expect her to be of much help either. But she walked to her anyway, taking a moment to gaze out herself and collect her thoughts._

" _Are you… the next monarch? Or… merely a pawn of fate?" The woman asked after a moment of next to each other. She was apparently called the Emerald Herald, guiding Undead like her to the King of Drangleic, 'he who peered into the essence of the soul, Vendrick. "Bearer of the curse… seek souls. Larger, more powerful souls. Seek the King, that is the only way. Lest this land swallow you whole… as it has so many others."_

 _According to the Herald, there were four. Four powerful souls to empower her own frail and pallid soul. She was to return to that squalid hamlet when she acquired them all. And that would mean killing them and claiming their souls for herself. This was the fate of the Undead: to kill others and amass their souls to empower your own, all so you don't go Hollow. The thought of having to face others in combat was not palatable, but if that was the only way to see this Vendrick, to potentially end this Curse... The thought of going Hollow scared her. Since she had no other ideas, this seemed like the best course of action. She steeled herself and made her way out of Majula, completely unprepared for what was to come._

* * *

Shirou grumbled, sensation returning to him. He was being carried, and rather uncomfortably at that. But that dream he saw was so clear, as if it were a memory. In fact, it probably was a memory, now that he thought about it. Rin did mention how when a Master summons a Servant, their souls become linked and they can peer into each other's essence. Or something. Speaking of Rin, he could hear her talking.

"It really is a problem. Guys like him who think they can just do whatever they want. He probably thought he could show off. Getting beat up should really put some sense into him."

"For someone who claims not to care about Shirou, you sure have a lot of opinions about him."

"That's because he's hopeless. You know what he's like: he can't leave other people alone, always going out of his way to help people, even if he really can't do anything. He'd work himself to death if people weren't looking out for him. I don't like it but if we hoist him off on the priest he won't be able to hurt himself."

"Truly your altruism is that of a saint."

"Ugh, to think I volunteered to come here. You may be right about that saint part. If it were up to me, I'd never see Kirei again. But, for better or worse, we've arrived. Wake him up." Chester dropped Shirou.

"Ow…"

"He's up."

"You didn't have to let go of me!"

"Listen up, Emiya, because we do not have time for your games," Rin said. "I know you want to go after the Einzbern girl, but you cannot do that. Even thinking about it is a death wish."

"Tohsaka-san, I-"

"So you're gonna go in here and stay with the priest. He is contractually obligated to protect people who can no longer fight in the War."

"But Tohsaka-san-"

"Archer." The Servant brandished his bow, aiming it at Shirou's head.

"Come along, friend. Nice and easy, now." At the risk of having a bolt pierce his skull, Shirou offered no resistance as he was corralled into the church. Rin sighed.

"I really don't want to have to talk to that fake priest…" she muttered. "But it's better if I just get it over with now. Having Emiya involved at this point will make everything more difficult. If he's here, I won't have to worry about him doing something stupid. Ugh, why did I take it upon myself to get involved like this? I wish we defeated Saber earlier, then I wouldn't be here." Rin cleared her throat. If she didn't come across as competent and in control, Kirei would talk circles around her. And that was a headache she neither wanted nor needed. She walked into the church, seeing Archer and Shirou standing in the middle of the aisle. "Hmm?" she said. "What's wrong?" the two of them were looking down at something in front of them.

"Master…" Archer said. "Take a look at this."

"It's always something, isn't it?" What's the big deal? You act like-" But when she drew closer, she saw the issue at hand. There, in the middle of the floor, lie Kirei Kotomime's body, impaled to the floor by a golden lance through his chest.

* * *

Been playing the Dark Souls remaster. Faith builds are just as fun as I remember. But then again, I refuse to do anything but faith builds.


	12. Chapter 12

"This… doesn't look good," Rin said, wincing. Kirei Kotomime's body lay impaled on the floor by a golden lance, glittering even in the dim lighting. Blood splattered around his mouth and wound, a gruesome sight that Shirou couldn't stomach. A putrid stench had set in, making the already sickening sight that much worse. Shirou was speechless, only able to back away, thinking that this couldn't be real. Archer, however, took it upon himself to lean down and inspect Kirei further. Shirou had to stay back, shock clear on his face that Archer could approach the body without so much as a flinch. Shirou wanted to throw up.

"He's clearly dead," Archer said.

"Great observation, Sherlock," Rin said, rolling her eyes. "Anyone can see that."

"Well, Miss Sarcasm, I suppose you don't need me to tell you how long he's been here, then."

"Is that somehow relevant to our situation?"

"It could be. And based on what I'm assuming from your reaction, this man held some level of importance?"

"He was supposed to be a moderator of sorts for the War. A neutral third party, so to speak."

"So… he's dead... because of the War?" Shirou asked.

Rin nodded. "This church was supposed to be a safe zone, since the battlefield is literally anywhere two Masters meet. So, how long has he been here?"

"Based upon my limited medical knowledge, I can't tell how painful his death was."

"...Okay?" Rin said. "That doesn't answer the question."

"I'm getting there. Look at how his blood splattered about. I know blood like the back of my hand. Our friend's here is somewhat dry... based upon the material of the floor, I'd say he's been laying like this a good two days or so. Time enough for the blood to set. And from the pattern of the blood, I'd say he met a pretty gruesome death after putting up very little struggle. He either had to be taken by surprise or whoever did this to him was quite fast. Perhaps both. The way I see it, he had to have known who did this to him. The wound pierced him from the front, so I assume that he didn't expect this from whoever committed the act."

"I see," Rin said, she held a thoughtful look on her face. "Anything else?" Archer leaned in close and took a great whiff of the body. Shirou recoiled at the sight, looking more ill each second.

"He had quite the propensity toward matters of the arcane."

"That's not surprising, considering his status. He was trained by my father after all."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I'm sure Kirei had many enemies, though I can't think of anyone who'd do this… at least this early in the War." Archer moved to examine the murder weapon.

"I've not seen a weapon like this… simple and effective, yet intricately ornate. It's not from any workshop I know of. Yet, in contrast to it's gleam, would say it's… quite old."

"That's not surprising. I can tell from here it contains a high level of Mystery. Whoever owns it had taken good care of it. Though that begs the question of why they left it."

"Do you think it was his Servant?"

"No. He was supposed to be neutral, remember? He wouldn't have a Servant because the rules would forbid it… Unless he stole someone's Servant… But then the weapon would disappear too. Then again, the Servant could have a high rank Independent Action."

"We have yet to see the Lancer or the Assassin, for that matter."

"Right. Whatever the case, this doesn't bode well. We can speculate on this later. Let's get out of here, Archer. We have to prepare."

"How are you two so casual about this!?" Shirou yelled. "There is literally a man dead on the floor before us!"

"God, Emiya, get over yourself!" Rin snapped. "I've been telling you this is what happens in this War! If you still can't accept it, then you really had no place here to begin with. You should be glad I was able to drive away Berserker before he killed you like he did your Servant!"

"More like he drove himself away," Archer muttered.

"But-"

"There are no 'buts' here! You keep trying to make excuses for something you neither understand not belong in. Just be glad I didn't kill you when I had the chance and go back to your ordinary life. Since you no longer have a Servant, you should be fine. Now come on, Archer. It's not safe here anymore."

"As you wish, Milady."

"H-hey, wait!" Shirou called after the duo, but the second the left the church, they were nowhere in sight.

"...How can they… just go along with this?" In a fit of despair, Shirou had collapsed to his knees. He felt like a complete and total failure. Not only had Tohsaka basically renounced him, he had failed to save anyone, let alone Saber. His eyes moistened, tears trickling freely down his cheeks. His dream of being a Hero unrealized, having been cast out of the War before anything even happened, he had no choice but to do what Rin said.

"Damn it…" he cursed, pounding his fist against the dirt. Truly, at this point, there was nothing more he could do. In his grief, he yelled at the moonlit sky in anguish. "Damn it!"

* * *

"Lad, I've got to say, this soup is the greatest thing I've ever tasted."

"You must have low standards. It's not that good." Shinji and Rider sat on top of a building, gazing out at the cityscape whilst enjoying the soup they stole from Shirou. Though he would never admit it, Shinji had to agree that Shirou was a damn good cook.

"Perhaps," Rider said. "I can't remember the last time I actually ate anything."

"Aren't Servants supposed to be summoned from the exact time they die? You gotta remember what you had for breakfast that morning. You know, unless you died on the toilet or something. That sort of thing happens to old people."

"That may be true for other Servants... not that I would know. But I was summoned from a Dream."

"A… dream?"

"Not a dream in the exact sense, I suppose; that's just what it's called. It is a sort of limbo, for lack of a better term. A place where Hunters can ply their trade, ensuring that there will always be someone to slay the beasts. Although… since I'm not there, I wonder if it still exists." Shinji looked at the Servant inquisitively. "I hope that new Hunter doesn't break anything. I did leave a note advising what to do, so they should be fine…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Just the ramblings of a senile fool. Though on that note, don't we have a Hunt of our own to get to, what with the War?"

"I wish. But I'm on explicit instructions from that decrepit old fart not to start anything. Though if someone tries anything on us, we can kick their ass. Like that red guy from yesterday."

Rider chuckled. "Doesn't matter too much to me. At the very least, I'm enjoying the change of scenery."

"I hope the Einzbern kid ended up killing Emiya."

"That would be rather convenient for us, wouldn't it?"

"She promised me the Grail if I helped her, though I'm not sure if she intends to keep that."

"I doubt it. A promise is only as good as the one fulfilling it. She could be manipulating you into doing her job for her. Especially since her terms were made from a position of power."

"Yeah, I figured as much," he said, rolling his eyes. "So we need to figure out how to kill her and her Servant. Any ideas?"

"Besides taking them head on?"

"Do you think you could handle them like that? We are up against a Berserker."

The Servant stroked his chin. "...Perhaps. Her Servant most likely fights like a mad beast, hence the moniker Berserker. Even without knowing that, I can tell from the air about him. And believe me, I've hunted plenty of snarling, raving creatures just like that. But there is something different about that one…" Gehrman looked up, eyeing the full moon, lighting the dark sky with only its presence. It brought to mind all manner of things he wished to forget, reminding him of choices in his life he never should have made. To think, the first and most famous Hunter, doomed to be the pawn and plaything of an Eldritch horror. Every moment he could feel the Presence worming through his mind and every fiber of his being. It was sickening. Even being exposed to the night sky gave him conniptions. And when he saw the Berserker, he felt it stir. Perhaps it was a predatory reaction, or like an animal, it felt like something was encroaching on its territory. Either way, the Presence wanted to fight whatever being had corrupted the Berserker.

Gehrman couldn't help but feel some sort of kinship with the Knight, however. Both were puppets of some power they failed to best, and were paying for their failure for what could be eternity. And they would have to fight. Not for the sake of the Grail, or because their current 'Masters' commanded, but because they would be compelled to. Because, at the end of the day, they had no choice but to obey. He looked at the moon, rage and fury boiling beneath the surface, and scowled at the sight. "Something primeval that makes my own being quake. Whether in anticipation or anger, I cannot say." Gehrman leaned back in his wheelchair, adjusting his hat to block the moonlight from his view. He wanted to scream, to stop this madness coursing through him. To finally be able to die. "We may not be so different, but we cannot suffer one another to live."

"I honestly couldn't care any less to hear you wax poetic than I do right now, old man."

"I'm just giving a warning, boy," Gehrman growled. "If we encounter the Berserker again, I will be compelled to fight him, and I doubt there will be anything you or I can do to stop it."

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Not like we didn't have to fight him anyway." He scoffed. "Let's get out of here. I'm sick of looking at this dumb city."

Gehrman let out a brusque sigh. This child did not understand. He did not care to understand. He wondered if Shinji bothered to think of anyone besides himself. Gehrman shook his head. He wasn't going to bother arguing with him. They were stuck with each other for the time being, and agitating Shinji would cause unneeded stress. That's why he held his tongue on his lack of desire to win the War. He sincerely hoped that anyone other than him claimed the Grail. Because, if they won, the Presence would claim its power before he or Shinji could do anything about it. "Lead the way." He went into his intangible form, allowing Shinji to go where he pleased. Ironically, given the competence of his Master, or lack thereof, there was little way he would win the War, based on how the Servants siphoned energy from the Masters. Even if he was technically bound to someone far more capable than Shinji, he had no doubt that the boy would foil them both. At the very least, he could take some modicum of comfort in that thought. It is not as though he didn't desire the Grail, he had his own idea on what to wish for. But someone or something would ruin it for him and any hope he had of release. There was no way, not even the slightest chance, of him using the power of the Grail to sever his ties with the Presence and end his tortured, continued existence. There could be no peace for him, he thought grimly. No end to his nightmare. So he went along, like a puppet on a string. Because that is all he was and all he would ever be.

* * *

Shirou awoke with a start, hair matted with sweat. Tohsaka's words and his own failures plaguing him since he returned. He didn't even bother talking to Taiga when he got back, just going immediately to his room. Which worked for him because he didn't have to answer any questions about Saber. But he couldn't stop thinking about her. Even when his own exhaustion crept up on him, drifting him into sleep, he kept having dreams about her, and he would jolt wide awake.

Dreams where she would be moving around some old, forgotten kingdom. He couldn't remember the name of the place, but some other things stood out to him. He dreamt Saber was collecting… something. Something intangible at the behest of some lady wearing a green cloak. And in order to acquire… whatever it was, she had to take them from others. There were four, he recalled. And in those dreams, nothing was resolved peaceful, leading to Saber fighting over these items. And each time he felt himself drift into unconsciousness, the dreams became longer and more vivid.

In one dream, Saber was in a place he knew was called Sinner's Rise, a prison of some sort, and had to fight the person being held there. The fact that he dreamt of Saber killing a prisoner made him feel pretty bad. What could a person in jail have that they needed to be killed over? He wouldn't bother trying to rationalize that. Another had her purchase a ring from a cat, jump down a well, fight a horde of rats, go down some rickety, makeshift wooden platforms, land in a dark place with poison pools with statues that spit acid, and fight what could only be described as a mass of corpses. And yet another dream involved Saber running through a shaded wood where invisible people roamed about, talk to a disembodied head, fight a scorpion lady, walk through a mining town and fight a giant, two-headed spider that shot lasers.

The last dream had Saber run through a forest of dead trees, fight a bunch of skeletons, go to a different mining town that had released tons of poisonous gas, fight a slug, commit arson on a windmill, then fight a snake lady. And after that, she took an elevator upwards, somehow, ended up in front of a sunken tower surrounded by lava, fought a guy with a furnace for a chest, sidled around a bunch of flamethrowers and fought a giant fire man who swam in lava like it was a pool. Shirou had to get up. These dreams were just becoming too ridiculous. He checked his clock.

3:47.

He had been drifting in and out of sleep for several hours now, the whole charade becoming worn out the longer it went. He was beat. Ironically, he was more tired of those odd dreams than he was tired physically. But thoughts of Saber crawled into his mind and wouldn't leave. No matter what he did, he still thought about her. How he didn't prevent her death. He had wanted to be a hero, but when it came down to it, he couldn't do anything. He felt guilty, wishing for another chance to do it all over again.

He went to the kitchen for a glass of water, hoping it would calm his nerves. As he took a drink, he thought about how life would continue on. Things would go on as normal in the regular world. Most people didn't know about Servants and Grail Wars, and would go about their lives as they usually do. Shirou sighed as he crawled back under his covers. Things would be normal for other people, but how could he go back to how things were? Now that he knew about the Grail, he couldn't help but think of some evil person getting their hands on it and causing destruction, the death of innocent people, or worse. It would be just like the fire…

"Tohsaka-san was right…" Shirou said. "I am a failure." He looked out the window at the first few rays of dawn. He had to have been ruminating a long time. And the worst part is he didn't get a decent amount of sleep. Regardless, he decided to do what he needed to do and start breakfast. Time waits for no man, and a hungry tiger can be deadly. With his thoughts still plaguing him, he grimly headed to the kitchen.

"Do you need assistance, Shirou?" Shirou turned around so quickly one could hear the wind whip around him. The sight before him caused the boy to scream. He jumped in fear, his back now to the wall, shivering. In front of him, wearing the same armor as Saber, was a green, hollow eyed, zombie. "Shirou, are you… Oh yes, my appearance must be unfamiliar to you. One moment." It reached somewhere and pulled out a vaguely human shaped effigy. As it retrieved the object, Shirou stopped quaking, his eyes transfixed on the object. He couldn't pin why, but looking at it gave him an odd sense of comfort. It held the object close to its chest, and it dissolved into it. In that instant, its sickly appearance had returned to normal, and her green eyes stared into his.

"S-Saber!? What are you- How are you here!?" Before she could answer, Shirou threw himself at her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug. "I thought you were dead!" She could hear light sobs coming from him. She opted to stand still and let him continue; the gesture was unfamiliar to her. "I'm so sorry… I'm sorry I failed you, Saber."

"The fault lies with me. I took our adversary too lightly and suffered the consequences. Alas, this is a setback, yes, but certainly not the end of things."

"But I still don't understand how you're here! I literally saw you disappear!"

"While I cannot go into detail as I am not sure of it myself, the long and short of it would be my Noble Phantasm."

"Your what?" Shirou asked, breaking his hug to look at her face.

"The embodiment of a Heroic Spirit that symbolizes their existence." Shirou looked at her blankly. "You were correct in your earlier assumption, Shirou. During our last encounter, I did, in fact, die. Due only to my own incompetence was I killed by Berserker. However, due to my unique… circumstances as it were, I lack the ability to remain dead."

"But… but people die when they're killed! Is it possible that… Saber, are you a ghost?" Shirou asked. "Am I hallucinating?"

"While I cannot comment on the possibility of you seeing things that are not there, Shirou, I assure you I am not a ghost. I am Undead."

"So… you're a zombie?"

"I am unfamiliar with that term."

"You know, like, reanimated corpses eating brains? Is that why you weren't into my cooking? Because it didn't have brains in it!?"

"While I do not think you are too off base with the 'reanimated corpse' analogy, I do not require any sort of physical sustenance. We have been over this before."

"I thought it was because you were a Servant!"

Saber closed her eyes in contemplation. "I… suppose Servants do not have to eat, being ethereal creatures by nature… Regardless, I am a special case."

"What do you mean?"

"Other Servants have something they are known for: a manifestation of their legend or being. A trait that identifies the Heroic Spirit. I, however, have no such thing. In the grand scheme of the universe, I am unimportant. A pawn of fate doomed to make the same moves in the same game for eternity. There is nothing special about me: no legend I am known for, no grand feat I have achieved. Nothing. The only notable thing about me is that I am afflicted with the Curse of the Undead.

"I will be honest, Shirou. I have no mastery in any form of combat. I have achieved only a passable proficiency in a variety of weapon types. I am knowledgeable in only a bit of magic. I can wear heavier armor, but prefer I prefer lighter sets so as not to encumber my dodging. As such, when I was summoned here as your Servant, with no remarkable talents of my own, the Curse was deemed fit to use as my Noble Phantasm. Furthermore, it activates automatically. What this means is, to you at least, no matter how many times I die, as long as I have a connection to you, I will return."

"Uh… okay?"

"Though I must admit, it has been a… considerable amount of time since I have died. I had nearly forgotten to use a human effigy." Shirou stared blankly.

"To explain further, due to the nature of the Curse, every time I die, I become closer to Hollowing. The effigies help retain my Humanity."

Shirou shook his head. "Okay, okay,, that's enough. I don't think I'm going to get it, no matter how you explain it. I have enough trouble following Tohsaka-san's lessons." He faced Saber with a smile. "But that's okay. Whether you're human or not, it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're alive."

"I... do not think I can be considered alive, technically speaking."

"Come on, I'm going to start breakfast."

"As you wish." She followed Shirou around silently as he went about his business. She had initially asked to help, but Shirou had told her that he'd take care of it. Though, at his behest, she changed into the clothes she had bought with Taiga the day prior, and instead of her blue armor, was wearing a white blouse complimented by a blue skirt. Speaking of whom, the smell of food being prepared had lured Taiga from her room, enticing her with the promise of a hot meal.

"Good morning Shirou," she said groggily.

"Mornin'!" He called in response. "Breakfast will be ready shortly, so have a seat."

"Yay," Taiga weakly as she moved to sit at the table. "Good morning Saber," she said, taking her place.

"I bid you a good morning, Taiga Fujimura."

"You got in late. I wondered where you went last night. Shirou came home late and didn't say anything, and I couldn't find you anywhere.

I didn't even hear you leave!"

"...I had to make a phone call," Saber said.

"Oh! I got ya," Taiga said, nodding her head. "Then thanks for not using our line. I don't even want to know how much a long distance call of that length would cost. Speaking of which, how long are you staying for? Not that I mind or anything."

"As long as necessary." Taiga hummed in response.

"Like I said, you can stay as long as you like. But don't you have school to go to?"

"No."

"Are you doing, like, a study abroad type of thing?"

"Saber's no longer in school," Shirou said, setting food down in the table. "She graduated college already. I'm surprised she didn't tell you that."

Taiga brought a hand to her chin. "You know, maybe she did and I wasn't paying attention. Sorry!"

Saber looked toward Shirou, who stared back with pleading eyes, and back at Taiga, who waved her hands apologetically. "That is… quite alright."

"While we're on the subject, what did you major in?"

Saber took a moment to consider her answer. While she clearly had no formal education, and least one she could remember, her Master had insisted on going through this charade with Taiga. She didn't know exactly why he wanted to do this, but it was not her place to question. Therefore, in order to continue this masquerade, she needed to answer with a subject she knew a fair bit about. "Anthropology," she finally said.

"What?" Shirou said, perplexed.

"Really?" Taiga said, voice drenched in curiosity.

"With a focus on the religious rites and ceremonies of ancient clans."

"Wow, that sounds really cool! Do you get to travel to ancient tombs and dig up mummies and look for the treasures of old civilizations?"

"That's archeology," Shirou said.

"Oh. Yeah, right."

"I do travel a fair bit," Saber said. Shirou thought he saw a flicker of sadness cross Saber's stoic expression.

"I'd love to hear more, but I gotta get going. See ya later, Shirou!" He nodded as she rushed to leave. He took the time to clean up everything, with Saber being allowed to assist this time.

"Shirou," Saber said, drying dishes.

"Hmm?"

"Gregarious conversation aside, I must ask what your plan is."

"...You're talking about the War."

"Indeed. While I am not directly opposed to periods of rest, I cannot abide by inaction. Simply waiting for our enemies to come to us will not end well. We need to strike at them while we can."

"I know... You're right. I have to talk to Illya- to Berserker's Master. But how can we do that when we don't even know where they are?"

"If Archer and his Master have not yet found Berserker, then it will not be too difficult to draw him out."

"Really? What makes you think that?"

"If you have not noticed, the Berserker is allied with Caster."

"Caster?" It didn't take Shirou much to remember. One doesn't quickly forget nearly losing their life to an otherworldly monstrosity. "When Caster attacked me, that's when we first met, right?"

"Indeed. I had answered your summons."

"How do you know they're working together?"

"It is only because I have had many encounters with Caster that I know this. The Berserker has a similar… air about him, for lack of a better term. The two of them draw from the same source of power."

"So you knew Caster from before? Were you friends?"

"We were nothing of the sort. She is a force of corruption, a parasite seeking nothing but to leech power from others. To achieve this aim, she desires

to plunge the world into the Abyss. And I stopped her from doing so."

"Woah, really?" Saber nodded. "Okay… but that doesn't really answer who she is."

"She is Nashandra, reigning queen of Drangleic."

"Drangleic?" Shirou repeated. "Isn't that where you're from?"

"Saber's eyes widened with the slightest bit of surprise before narrowing. "I wouldn't say I'm 'from' Drangleic, per se, but I have spent what feels like an eternity there. I do not recall telling you this."

"You must miss it, huh?" Shirou said with a sympathetic smile. Saber responded with a scowl.

"You mistake my contempt for nostalgia. I say this with as much sincerity as I can: I would kill every person in this land if it meant I never had to set foot in Drangleic again. I will do whatever it takes to stay as far away from that accursed kingdom as possible." Shirou looked at her in silence, unsure of how to respond. "It is for this reason I desire the Grail. If we claim it, I will wish for that to be true. I care not what you do afterward."

"I… I'm sorry Saber. I had no idea."

"That is inconsequential."

"But you can't really mean you'd kill people just for that."

"It would not be my first choice. But, if that remained my only recourse, I would not hesitate to do so. It must seem unfathomable to commit an atrocity such as this, but I have long ago lost any sense of morality." Saber grit her teeth, her hands clenched into fists. "Perhaps I have lost much of my Humanity already."

"I don't believe that!" Shirou rushed to Saber, grabbing her hands. He locked eyes with her, a deep stare to empathize with the pain she held. "The fact that you worry about that proves how human you are! I can't truly know how you feel, but you know you'd regret doing anything so drastic! That's why you're having this crisis in the first place! I know I don't really understand what you're going through, or how and why this War has to happen, but I can at least help you get through this." Shirou gave a look of fierce determination, his eyes alight with a fire Saber did not know he had. "Saber, you've made me realize just how important this is. You and Tohsaka-san both. I can't afford to take this lightly. I swear to you, we will make it out of this. And everyone will get a happy ending."

Saber freed her hands from Shirou's grip. Her expression had reverted to a neutral one, yet Shirou held a smile on his face, his eyes filled with a hope she could no longer hold. He truly seemed to believe everything he said.

"...I believe you should be off," Saber said.

"Oh… Oh, you're right! I'll talk to Tohsaka-san at school and see what we can do. I'll see you later!" With that, Shirou grabbed his things and rushed away to school, leaving Saber alone.

"...Your words are indicative of someone who believes that the world can exist without suffering. But the true nature of the world is nothing like that, Shirou. That naïveté that others must find so endearing will be the death of you. You think you understand, but a mortal mind is not meant to comprehend the infinite. An attempt is enough to drive you mad. I cannot stop, I will not stop until I achieve my goal. If I must, I will strike down even you, should you try and stop me."

* * *

Illyasviel looked out her window. The figure of Artorias towering from behind her. The flora in view managed to maintain its viridian visage, even in the midst of the comparatively mild winter. The sun shone brightly on the trees, giving a sense of life to the silent wood. Having fully recovered from the previous night's events, Illya looked perfectly serene as she gazed from her castle. And yet, the picturesque view did nothing to calm the anger that burnt inside her, raging like a wildfire.

"Shirou is still alive," she said. The Berserker nodded. As he never landed a decisive blow, he must assume the child was still alive. With all the magic that the Masters have proven capable of using, it would be short sighted to assume he was anything other than the picture of perfect health. Illya shook her head. "Abysmal. Truly. I was so close to receiving the closure I desire, and then…" She turned to her Servant. "What happened? A Berserker going into a rage is expected, but when you did so, I felt… something. It was like nothing I ever felt before. Even for those brief moments, it tried to… consume me, for lack of a better term. Attempting to pull me into a formless nothing. It is quite difficult to describe."

Artorias grumbled; his previous assumption was correct. The power of the Abyss had used him as a conduit to try and pull in Illya. Thankfully since his time here, it's hold on him has grown continually weaker, though it still had some hold over him. Even though he was the Abysswalker, he still knew so little about it. It clearly is more dangerous than he thought. Illya closed her eyes. "Perhaps it is due to my own unique nature that it failed to grab hold of me… Though I do wonder about its original. If I had the option, I would like to study it more in depth… Ah, no need to fret, Artorias. I will do no such thing. As curious as it is, I cannot safely determine the full extent of its nature, and I would not be so careless as to endanger myself or others. Though I cannot say the same for other mages who would discover it." Artorias groaned loudly. The last thing he wanted was another event like Oolacile. "If the events that transpired are as bad as you remember them, then it would behoove us to exercise caution." Artorias nodded. The less he had to think about the Dark, the better.

"Be that as it may, there is still the matter of my brother. As fate would have it, he also found himself as a Master in this War. How apt of Kiritsugu to find a child with magic in his blood. Unfortunately for him, his Servant perished by your hand. While that would usually be a good thing, by the rules of the War, he is able to find asylum. A refuge for Masters who have failed, shielding them from further combat. As much as I would love to see him suffer, we have better things to do." Artorias cocked his head. He knew that the boy's Servant was Undead. Ornstein, too, mentioned facing an Undead. He had no doubt he would return with his Servant. If his Master willed it, he would kill Shirou and his Servant, again, the next time he saw them. Killing an Undead was nothing, but he personally harbored no ill will toward the boy. Yet orders were orders, and the Knight would fulfill his duty. "There will be time to deal with Shirou later," Illya continued. "For now, we must deal with the other Masters. As it stands, we know the identity of all the Servants with the exception of Assassin and Caster. Fortunately for us, you were already acquainted with Lancer. I am sure you would much love to catch up with your friend, so I will not suggest that we fight," she chuckled. "However, we must still take action. Waiting for others to take each other out is a dangerous game. Who knows what powers the other Servants may accrue in the interim? And I do not believe standing on the sidelines befits a Berserker." Artorias did not outwardly respond. While she was right in that he would prefer to take action immediately, the final decision rested upon her. "Caster and Assassin will eventually show themselves. They are also a matter to be dealt with later. Mr. Matou and Rider will also prove no challenge." Illya nodded. "Very well," she smiled. "In that case, how about we pay a visit to Archer? I believe you two have unfinished business."

* * *

Fate/Extella is on the Switch. So is Dark Souls. I'm calling it now: a future DLC for Smash Ultimate will include Saber and Gwyn. I know your game, Reggie.


End file.
